trationalize

To rationalize, but with respect to extremely evil issues.

E.g., One may rationalize partaking of a fast food material during a busy work day but one trationalizes when revoking an American citizen's right to vote because one convinces him- or herself that the low socioeconomic status and presumably low IQ of a focal American citizen disallow the worth of his or her vote.ra

by Daver8 October 19, 2013

rationalize

to make excuses by masking own flaws/insecurities by explaining one's own reasoning/actions, often used to avoid the real reason or reality when all it does it make one small, simple & scared.

Joe: Bill why did you beat that guy up?
Bill: cuz he flirted with my girlfriend dude.
Joe: Umm, he was just asking where a store is.
Bill: Well, I had to protect her honor & defend her, besides he looked shifty.
Joe: You're just doing nothing but rationalize.

by fballjones October 12, 2010

Rationalized Distancing

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when you see your friends or family members who don’t live under your roof either one-on-one or in groups whether it be standing 6 feet apart from each other and not moving from that spot, meeting in cars in the parking lot, walking or riding bikes together on opposite sides of the street, or holding exercise classes in the street. These people are practicing creative distancing, but it is slightly different because people who practice rationalized distancing think it’s okay because they list the precautions they had taken and will argue with those who don’t agree with them—it was only five minutes, they sat 6 feet apart, we monitored their behavior, it was just a playdate, the only other place we go is the grocery store, I’m healthy, we’re all healthy. However, according to MIT research “mucus and saliva can burst from a person’s mouth at nearly a hundred miles an hour and travel as far as 27 feet.” This method of distancing is flawed, selfish, and breaks all social distancing rules.

Joe met up with his two brothers at his house and practiced rationalized distancing by saying it was okay because they only met for 10 minutes. Now, all three brothers and their entire families have Coronavirus.

by Macblue April 23, 2020

Great rationalizer

one who selects partial truths to tell a story in the way he wants it to be known

James is a great rationalizer spinning the facts to his views

by Tiny dancer at the girls forum August 6, 2016

Rationalized Bias

A sophisticated form of self-deception where one's pre-existing prejudices, desires, or ideological commitments are retroactively supported by elaborate, internally consistent rationalizations. The person constructs a logical-sounding edifice to justify a conclusion they arrived at for emotional or tribal reasons, believing themselves to be purely rational. The bias lies in the motivated reasoning that builds the rationale.

Example: A person opposed to immigration reform crafts a complex argument citing selective economic studies, abstract principles of sovereignty, and crime statistics. This Rationalized Bias allows them to believe their stance is reasoned, when its roots are in unexamined cultural anxiety and identity politics. The logic serves the bias, not the truth.

by Dumu The Void February 4, 2026