Let’s start with a heuristic definition: rationality is to 1) question any impulses; 2) base decisions on a chain of logic; 3) support that logic through careful record keeping.

I had always assumed that being rational was about not letting emtions prevail.

What I’m realizing recently is that acting rationally, both on the day to day and also during a crisis, takes a lot of guts. And these guts are really emotions: willingness to face discomfort (because you don’t know where rationality will take you), courage to face your own basic non-rational responses and perseverance to remain thinking and open minded when you feel like flipping the table.

In short, it takes a lot of emotion, a lot of guts, to create the setting for rationality to prevail.