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I think you have the right definition here.

People aren't rational. They are rationalizers.

Rational thinking is when you use facts and draw a conclusion.

Rationalizing is when you have a conclusion, and you work backwards to justify it with rational-sounding arguments.

Conspiracy theories start with some ridiculous conclusion, and work backwards to make it sound intelligent. It's not intelligent, but it SOUNDS intelligent.

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> People aren't rational. They are rationalizers

In college we had to read Freud's Civilization and its Discontents for a literature class. The only thing I remember about that entire book was him saying that no matter what, if people wanted to do something, they would find a way to rationalize it to themselves to avoid cognitive dissonance.

That one concept has been illustrated over and over in the 30 years since!

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