--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rationalization: This is a close cousin…" description: "\"“Rationalization: This is a close cousin of intellectualization. It occurs when we are so afraid of feeling pain, disappointment, or guilt that we make..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/shirley-impellizzeri-73130_feeling-pain_rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-o_2163483.jpg" --- # Rationalization: This is a close cousin of… ![“Rationalization: This is a close cousin of intellectualization. It occurs when we are so afraid of feeling pain, disappointment, or guilt that we make up a logical argument to reduce these feelings.” quote by Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/shirley-impellizzeri-73130_feeling-pain_rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-o_2163483.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/shirley-impellizzeri-73130_feeling-pain_rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-o_2163483.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80c/shirley-impellizzeri-73130_feeling-pain_rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-o_2163483.jpg) > ““Rationalization: This is a close cousin of intellectualization. It occurs when we are so afraid of feeling pain, disappointment, or guilt that we make up a logical argument to reduce these feelings.”” [Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People create logical explanations to avoid painful emotions, shielding themselves from discomfort. **In simple terms:** We make up reasons to dodge pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and name the feeling before rationalizing. Themes psychology defense mechanisms emotional avoidance Mood reflective analytical Type advice psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal reflection - conflict resolution - stress management Key Concepts cognitive dissonance self-deception coping strategies Questions to Reflect On - What emotion am I avoiding? - How does this rationalization affect my decisions? A Different Perspective Rationalization can prevent confronting underlying issues, leading to unresolved trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-pain/) [Intellectualization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectualization-93204/) [Intellectualization Occurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectualization-occurs-4600952/) [Rationalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalization/) [Rationalization Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalization-close-4600953/) [Reduce Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reduce-feelings-4600954/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/the-fate-of-our-times-is-characterized-by-rationalization-and-2/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [Irony is a great tool to deal with things. It's an intellectualization, a way to go above things, which can work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/irony-is-a-great-tool-to-deal-with-things-it-s-an-intellectualization/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“The progressive intellectualization of language, its progressive conversion by the work of grammar and logic into a scientific symbolism, ... represents not a progressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-g-collingwood-2/the-progressive-intellectualization-of-language-its-progressive/) [R.G. Collingwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-g-collingwood-2/) > [“Infantilism, the main characteristic of today's "developed societies", animalizes man by humanizing animals, enslaves man by "liberating" nature and stupefies man by intellectualizing machines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/infantilism-the-main-characteristic-of-today-s-developed-societies/) [Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/) > [Reality is always the moment of vision before the intellectualization takes place. There is no other reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/reality-is-always-the-moment-of-vision-before-the-intellectualization/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-killing-most-people/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [“Intellectualization complicates truth as it abstracts from what is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-delawar/intellectualization-complicates-truth-as-it-abstracts-from-what-is/) [Omar Delawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-delawar/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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 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/) ## More by Shirley Impellizzeri > [“Defenses are psychological strategies we use to keep us safe. They help us cope and reduce our anxiety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/defenses-are-psychological-strategies-we-use-to-keep-us-safe-they/) [Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/) > [“Humor and sarcasm: Humor and sarcasm are two very common ways to deflect, avoid, or simply deny feelings and thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/humor-and-sarcasm-humor-and-sarcasm-are-two-very-common-ways-to/) [Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/) > [“We do not see things as they are, We see them as we are. —The Talmud”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/we-do-not-see-things-as-they-are-we-see-them-as-we-are-the-talmud/) [Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/) [Explore all 4 Shirley Impellizzeri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/) ## More Feeling pain quotes > [“When she treads on my grave and feels as if she’s trampling on that doting old man’s bones, my spirit will still be alive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jun-ichir-tanizaki/when-she-treads-on-my-grave-and-feels-as-if-she-s-trampling-on-that/) [Jun'ichirō Tanizaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jun-ichir-tanizaki/) > [If you're feeling pain, express that to the Lord. 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