Are You a Rational Or an Emotional Thinker? Or Both?

Humans are complex creatures. In many situations, we tend to lead with our hearts and sometimes we choose to listen to our minds. But what happens we are ruled by both, our hearts and mind?

Scientists have classified our brains into two parts; Left-brain and right-brain or emotional mind vs. rational mind. A human mind can only be dominated by one part of the brain, or so they say.

A creative person is often classified as a person whose right brain is dominant. Oddly enough, a creative person can constantly switch between emotional vs rational thinking.

Also Read: Bring A Change In Your Life With Power of Positive Thinking

Emotions are important. After all, it is emotions that make us human. But the role of emotions is dubious at best when it comes to decision making. Life is unpredictable and in many cases, it becomes risky to expose our feelings.

Where decisions are concerned, emotions are considered irrational and uncertain. Why? What makes emotional thinking different from rational thinking? Can a person be both, a rational and an emotional thinker, at the same time?

What’s the difference between emotional vs. rational thinking? Let’s Dive Deep!

Who is An Emotional Thinker?

Emotional people often make decisions by ‘gut instinct’. They are less influenced or swayed by facts and prefer listening to their heart instead of their minds. Emotional thinkers are described as more impulsive and erratic than others.

It is a perceived notion that emotions disturb our peace and tranquility. But what if that peace is the answer to all our questions? What if our emotions make our lives more interesting and exciting? Emotions are important, even the negative ones to make us feel. The feelings we feel because of our emotions are what lights our world psychologically. Emotions are cathartic. The release of emotions over the grief of losing a loved one, or the heartbreak over a breakup, or even the ‘fear’ from watching a horror film makes us feel alive.

On the other hand, our emotional reactions to a situation can make a decision hard. We are invested in the other person’s feelings that we may unintentionally not make the right choice. Emotional thinking can make decisions based on values and emotions and what their impact would be on others. Sometimes those decisions can be illogical.

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Emotional thinking is driven by strong beliefs and values and emotional thinkers don’t usually see the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in their manner. Their subjectivity surpasses their objectivity.

Who is A Rational Thinker?

Humans are irrational, and our thinking is prone to error. Our decisions and reality are often blurred by our views and beliefs. Rational decision-making is based on the principles of facts and logic rather than feelings and emotions. A rational mind is guided by logic rather than experiences and they are not likely to be affected by emotions. Rational thinkers tend to be pragmatic and are not easily swayed by antipathies.

Rational thinkers are firm, and fair with their decisions and value truth and logic. Their thinking process is prone to change depending on the situation. For instance, rational thinkers would read a review before making a purchase and would constantly look for validation from others. Their behavior is driven by context rather than feelings.

In some instances, being a rational person can be beneficial rather than going with the gut. With every decision, a rational person wars between intuition and logic but in the end, the intuitive part of the brain would win.

Rational thinkers make decisions from a non-emotional point. Their objectivity surpasses their subjectivity. The point is not about being ‘tough’ or ‘insensitive’, it is about problem-solving using more logic and fewer emotions.

Also Read: How To Live Life By Staying True To Yourself

Emotional vs. Rational Thinking: How Are They Different?

More often than not, a question arises; Can thinkers be emotional?  And the answer that I’ve come across is Yes. A person who thinks with emotions but also keeps in mind facts and logic is often called a creative thinker. A creative thinker has both, working in unison to provide a creative solution.

A creative thinker will think outside the box and will find new ways to solve problems and challenges. Between rational vs. emotional, there come creative thinkers who are sensitive but have an uncanny ability to observe and examine the root causes of a problem as well.

Between an emotional mind and a rational mind, people often find ways to improve themselves. They seek self-improvement and constantly balance emotions and logic when needed. But, creative thinkers also cherish memories and emotions attached to them simultaneously providing those feelings a creative outlet.

For example, a creative person may seek self-improvement as a coping mechanism for the past.

People who think rationally and emotionally at the same time can be flexible and can provide a unique outlook in many situations.

Human decision-making is built around experiences. When sometimes we value our emotions and intuition over all others, we call upon our instincts and experiences we’ve developed over the years. Between logical thinking vs. emotional thinking, when we think logically and put facts and data together, we depend upon our knowledge and practicality of the situation. These decisions are transparent. Intuition keeps us alive but logic makes us think.

Every time we make a decision, our emotional mind wrestles with our rational mind. The left tells us to act logically and pragmatically while the right tells us to follow our heart and gut. Before making any decision or action we must listen carefully to both our minds and our hearts.

Emotions can run rampant and rationality might make us hard-hearted and cold but in the long run, we need emotions to help logic and vice versa.

Emotions need logic to soar and logic needs emotions to evolve. In the end, it is all about the balance of the head and heart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 : Are you a rational thinker?

If you are prone to spending more time thinking about your future and dreams than the past, then you may be a rational thinker. Rational thinking is when you think objectively in terms of progress and the future.

Q2 : Is it better to be logical or emotional?

Between logical thinking vs. emotional thinking, logic is better than emotional thinking. The more you think objectively about a decision, the more chances you have of making a smart decision. Emotional thinking is driven by instinct and instincts can be impulsive and not always right.

Q3 : What are the examples of rational thinking?

Rational thinking is when you think more objectively than going with your gut instinct. An example of rational thinking can be; when you feel frustrated, you pause and think, “I feel frustrated because…” or “I feel… because…” You take time to assess the feeling instead of being impulsive with your emotional processing.

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