--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reason adapts impulses and beliefs into…" description: "\"Reason adapts impulses and beliefs into the real world; rationalization, on the other hand, adapts the concept of reality to the impulses and beliefs o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/gordon-allport-29384_belief_reason-adapts-impulses-and-beliefs-into_2693560.jpg" --- # Reason adapts impulses and beliefs into the real world… ![“Reason adapts impulses and beliefs into the real world; rationalization, on the other hand, adapts the concept of reality to the impulses and beliefs of the individual. Reasoning discovers the true cause of our acts, rationalization finds good reasons for justifying our acts.” quote by Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/gordon-allport-29384_belief_reason-adapts-impulses-and-beliefs-into_2693560.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/gordon-allport-29384_belief_reason-adapts-impulses-and-beliefs-into_2693560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/gordon-allport-29384_belief_reason-adapts-impulses-and-beliefs-into_2693560.jpg) > “Reason adapts impulses and beliefs into the real world; rationalization, on the other hand, adapts the concept of reality to the impulses and beliefs of the individual. Reasoning discovers the true cause of our acts, rationalization finds good reasons for justifying our acts.” [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reason seeks objective causes; rationalization reshapes reality to fit personal motives. **In simple terms:** Reason finds truth; rationalization twists facts. Key Takeaway Question motives behind justifications. Themes reason rationalization truth Mood analytical critical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - political discourse - personal decisions - legal defenses Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑justification psychology Questions to Reflect On - When have you rationalized an action? - How can you distinguish reason from self‑service? A Different Perspective Rationalization can obscure accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acts Rationalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts-rationalization-2676429/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Rationalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalization/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Adapts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-adapts-2676427/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Rationalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-rationalization-2676428/) ## Related quotes > [The whole visible world is perhaps nothing more than the rationalization of a man who wants to find peace for a moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-whole-visible-world-is-perhaps-nothing-more-than-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [We are here to make a better world. No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of choice each of us brings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/we-are-here-to-make-a-better-world-no-amount-of-rationalization-or/) [Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/) > [Rationalization may be defined as self-deception by reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/rationalization-may-be-defined-as-self-deception-by-reasoning/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The genuine coherence of our ideas does not come from the reasoning that ties them together, but from the spiritual impulse that gives rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-genuine-coherence-of-our-ideas-does-not-come-from-the-reasoning/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Your explanation is good, but your herring doesn't fry, as we say in Ramaldah," he exploded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ashling/your-explanation-is-good-but-your-herring-doesn-t-fry-as-we-say-in/) [Andrew Ashling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ashling/) > [“To recklessly excuse a failure is to believe that I’ve effectively erased it from the story of my life, when I’ve actually imprinted it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-recklessly-excuse-a-failure-is-to-believe-that-i-ve-effectively/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Theology is the post hoc rationalization of what you want to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/theology-is-the-post-hoc-rationalization-of-what-you-want-to-believe/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Don't knock rationalization. Where would we be without it? I don't know anyone who'd get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goldblum/don-t-knock-rationalization-where-would-we-be-without-it-i-don-t-know/) [Jeff Goldblum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goldblum/) > [“Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/pure-hell-forces-action-but-anything-less-can-be-endured-with-enough/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The more effort we put into something, the more likely we are to value it. We are more likely to be consistent with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/the-more-effort-we-put-into-something-the-more-likely-we-are-to-value/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“there was another rationalization: Trump was “inspirational not operational.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/there-was-another-rationalization-trump-was-inspirational-not/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Paranoia is transmissible from mind to mind, but it does not go by the route of reason. It can therefore change its rationalization while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-nicholls/paranoia-is-transmissible-from-mind-to-mind-but-it-does-not-go-by-the/) [William Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-nicholls/) > [“Your theology won't always work toward your obedience, because your use of theology is dictated by the condition of your heart. If your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/your-theology-won-t-always-work-toward-your-obedience-because-your/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [“It wasn't uncommon to hear rationalizations of this sort--the longing to transform bad deeds into good ones. No one ever wanted to hear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/it-wasn-t-uncommon-to-hear-rationalizations-of-this-sort-the-longing/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) ## More by Gordon Allport > [The specific goals we set for ourselves are almost always subsidiary to our long range intentions. A good parent, a good neighbour, a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/the-specific-goals-we-set-for-ourselves-are-almost-always-subsidiary/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [The mature religious sentiment is ordinarily fashioned in the workshop of doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/the-mature-religious-sentiment-is-ordinarily-fashioned-in-the/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [The theist is persuaded that while nothing that contradicts science is likely to be true, still nothing that stops with science can be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/the-theist-is-persuaded-that-while-nothing-that-contradicts-science/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [Life is too short so we must generalize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/life-is-too-short-so-we-must-generalize/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [ Since we think about ourselves so much of the time, it is comforting to assume ... that we really know the score… \[But\] this… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/since-we-think-about-ourselves-so-much-of-the-time-it-is-comforting/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [Personality is and does something...It is what lies behind specific acts and within the individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/personality-is-and-does-something-it-is-what-lies-behind-specific/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [ The dog \[in Pavlov's experiments\] does not continue to salivate whenever it hears a bell unless sometimes at least an edible offering accompanies the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/the-dog-in-pavlov-s-experiments-does-not-continue-to-salivate/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [The scientist, by the very nature of his commitment, creates more and more questions, never fewer. Indeed the measure of our intellectual maturity, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/the-scientist-by-the-very-nature-of-his-commitment-creates-more-and/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [People who are aware of, and ashamed of, their prejudices are well on the road to eliminating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/people-who-are-aware-of-and-ashamed-of-their-prejudices-are-well-on/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [If a person is capable of rectifying his erroneous judgments in the light of new evidence he is not prejudiced. Prejudgments become prejudices only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/if-a-person-is-capable-of-rectifying-his-erroneous-judgments-in-the/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [Love received and love given comprise the best form of therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/love-received-and-love-given-comprise-the-best-form-of-therapy/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [If there is a purpose in life at all, there must be a purpose in suffering and in dying. But no man can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/if-there-is-a-purpose-in-life-at-all-there-must-be-a-purpose-in/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [Many studies have discovered a close link between prejudice and "patriotism" . . . Extreme bigots are almost always super-patriots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/many-studies-have-discovered-a-close-link-between-prejudice-and/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [There is a story of an Oxford student who once remarked, "I despise all Americans, but have never met one I didn't like."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/there-is-a-story-of-an-oxford-student-who-once-remarked-i-despise-all/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) > [Prejudgments become prejudices only if they are not reversible when exposed to new knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-allport/prejudgments-become-prejudices-only-if-they-are-not-reversible-when/) [Gordon Allport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) [Explore all 18 Gordon Allport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-allport/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. 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