Many human traits are manifestly irrational.
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You need only observe the traffic on any road to see irrational behaviour;
few people drive in a way that is efficient in fuel use, conservative in
wear on their vehicle and its components, and maximises safety.
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Our use of tobacco and many illicit drugs is harmful to our health, often
damaging to society, and produces no net benefits to anyone (apart from
the tobacco companies and organised crime).
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Poker machines are designed to make money for their owners and for the
owners of the premises that house the machines; it is absolutely impossible
for regular
players to do anything other than loose a substantial part of the money
that they put into the machines; yet there are many who love to 'play' the
pokies.
It would make as much sense to take the money from your bank account and
burn every fifth note.
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Economists and governments refuse to recognise that growth cannot continue
for ever; both believe that the economy must grow if a nation is to
be 'successful'.
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Religion is perhaps the most widespread and
important human irrationality; the majority of the world's people subscribe
to one or another conflicting and disparate sets of beliefs on which they
largely base their lives,
but for which there is absolutely no evidence.
The great pity is that humans have, by our science and technology
(products of our intelligence and rationality – we can behave
rationally at some times and as individuals) become very powerful.
We have – primarily by our mining and burning of
fossil fuels
–
changed the composition of 'our' planet's atmosphere to the point where
the climate is changing, generally in ways that are disadvantageous to,
not only ourselves, but most higher species.
We have the intelligence to see this, to be able to understand the ways in
which the Earth is changing, the consequences of our actions and our
inactions, but not the rationality to make the necessary changes to our
behaviours.
Our greatest irrationalities seem often to be associated with short-sighted
thinking.
Climate change is a long-term threat, driving (rather than walking or
riding a bicycle) to the shop is a short-term activity.
We seem unable, individually or collectively, to change our short-term
behaviour for the sake of our long-term survival.
Many of our day-to-day activities need to change for us to control
climate change.
Our use of antibiotics is another example of short-sited thinking harming
our long-term welfare.
Our farmers feed antibiotics to their animals because it slightly increases
the growth rates – at the same time as training bacteria to live
successfully in the presence of antibiotics.
Intelligent life on Earth has been one of nature's greatest experiments in
this wonderful Universe.
It seems a shame that it appears to have failed because of an insufficiency
of rationality.
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This is a work in progress