Delusion Quote by Jonathan Haidt
““Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines delusion as “a false conception and persistent belief unconquerable by reason in something that has no existence in fact.”45 As an intuitionist, I’d say that the worship of reason is itself an illustration of one of the most long-lived delusions in Western history: the rationalist delusion.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt, 2012
Reason can become a dogma, blinding us to its limits and to non‑rational ways of knowing.
In simple terms: Reason can be a delusion when worshipped blindly.
Key Takeaway
Question reason’s limits.
Themes
philosophy
cognition
culture
religion
Mood
critical
reflective
skeptical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- policy making
- personal belief formation
- education
- media analysis
Key Concepts
rationalism
delusion
intuitionism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does over‑reliance on reason affect moral judgments?
- When is intuition more reliable than analysis?
A Different Perspective
Reason alone cannot solve problems that require emotion or intuition.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
