--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man has a tendency to try to give clear…" description: "\"Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png" --- # Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be… ![“Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big nonsense.” quote by Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png) > “Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big nonsense.” [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often fabricate rational explanations that fail to truly justify actions, revealing underlying nonsense. **In simple terms:** Rational excuses can hide real motives. Key Takeaway Question your reasons. Themes rationality self-deception communication Mood skeptical reflective Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - public statements - policy debates Key Concepts cognitive bias justification authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Why do we cling to flimsy justifications? - How can we seek genuine clarity? A Different Perspective Reasons may be socially accepted but logically weak. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Clear Reasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-reasons-1495156/) [Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convincing/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational/) [Rational Reasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational-reasons-1335221/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reasons Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasons-convincing-2864470/) [Reasons Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasons-rational-4234208/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) ## Related quotes > [I've studied pathological liars, and anything they say, they believe, and that's one of the reasons they're so convincing, because they have no connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-ve-studied-pathological-liars-and-anything-they-say-they-believe/) [Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/) > [I also doubt a man can give really clear reasons for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-also-doubt-a-man-can-give-really-clear-reasons-for-anything/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [“In the end, people either have excuses or experiences; reasons or results; buts or brilliance. They either have what they wanted or they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erlend-bakke/in-the-end-people-either-have-excuses-or-experiences-reasons-or/) [Erlend Bakke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erlend-bakke/) > [We are all hunting for rational reasons for believing in the absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/we-are-all-hunting-for-rational-reasons-for-believing-in-the-absurd/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [“I’m trying to find rational reasons to explain irrational feelings, and that’s never a good sign.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-m-trying-to-find-rational-reasons-to-explain-irrational-feelings/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [What I'm saying is that I'm trying to find rational reasons to explain irrational feelings, and that's neveer a good sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/what-i-m-saying-is-that-i-m-trying-to-find-rational-reasons-to/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There is an overabundance of rational reasons to say no to factory-farmed meat: It is the No. 1 cause of global warming, it systematically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/there-is-an-overabundance-of-rational-reasons-to-say-no-to-factory/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [When you work with a good actor, there is this natural rapport and chemistry that develops over time. That chemistry helps your characters come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aamir-khan/when-you-work-with-a-good-actor-there-is-this-natural-rapport-and/) [Aamir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aamir-khan/) > [You make a movie and it's like convincing people to go on an expedition with you. You think you know where it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ayer/you-make-a-movie-and-it-s-like-convincing-people-to-go-on-an/) [David Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ayer/) > [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“Trane's playing is literally the most convincing proof of God's existence I've ever come across.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/trane-s-playing-is-literally-the-most-convincing-proof-of-god-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Religious freedom is too sacred a right to be restricted or prohibited in any degree without convincing proof that a legitimate interest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-murphy/religious-freedom-is-too-sacred-a-right-to-be-restricted-or/) [Frank Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-murphy/) > [Ultimately the most challenging thing, always, is to just be convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-pearce/ultimately-the-most-challenging-thing-always-is-to-just-be-convincing/) [Guy Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-pearce/) > [I don't analyze what I'm doing. I've read convincing interpretations of my work, and sometimes I've noticed something that I wasn't aware of, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-analyze-what-i-m-doing-i-ve-read-convincing-interpretations/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) > [How they say that we not fly, how they say that we not working. They just need convincing like Malcom Little fore he converted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/how-they-say-that-we-not-fly-how-they-say-that-we-not-working-they/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) ## More by Ai Weiwei > [I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-m-totally-independent-i-don-t-bear-any-responsibility-to-any-system/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/if-my-art-has-nothing-to-do-with-people-s-pain-and-sorrow-what-is-art/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/china-has-a-rich-history-that-has-spanned-millennia-it-consists-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-world-should-be-much-more-open-and-should-be-much-more-free-so/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/by-participating-in-the-society-we-live-in-we-understand-our/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ I curated this show \[Shanghai Biennale \], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-curated-this-show-shanghai-biennale-i-was-by-no-means-trying-to/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-think-we-cannot-have-a-double-standard-we-cannot-see-our-art-as/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [It doesn't matter where I am - China will stay in me. I don't know how far I can still walk on this road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/it-doesn-t-matter-where-i-am-china-will-stay-in-me-i-don-t-know-how/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/chinese-citizens-have-never-had-the-right-to-really-express-their/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/your-own-acts-tell-the-world-who-you-are-and-what-kind-of-society-you/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Our lives are bound by physical limits, familial ties, political conditions, and geographical restrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyond them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/our-lives-are-bound-by-physical-limits-familial-ties-political/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Now I've come to such a mixed culture: America, Europe, South America, Africa. And the politics are changing everywhere all the time and becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/now-i-ve-come-to-such-a-mixed-culture-america-europe-south-america/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I don't think it's worth discussing new directions in the context of Chinese art - there were no old directions, either. Chinese art has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-don-t-think-it-s-worth-discussing-new-directions-in-the-context-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) [Explore all 359 Ai Weiwei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big nonsense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ai Weiwei" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear-reasons-to-be-rational-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear-reasons-to-be-rational-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/ai-weiwei-824_bigs_man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear_496108.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons…” — Ai Weiwei", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ai Weiwei", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man has a tendency to try...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear-reasons-to-be-rational-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/man-has-a-tendency-to-try-to-give-clear-reasons-to-be-rational-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```