Creating a counterfeit version of a rational process—a fake cost-benefit analysis, a rigged Bayesian update, or a distorted decision matrix—where the numbers, probabilities, or utilities are invented or manipulated to justify an irrational desire. It's dressing up a gut feeling or a bias in the ceremonial robes of rational choice theory to make it look dignified and unassailable.
Example: "He forged a rationality to buy the jet ski. His spreadsheet assigned an 85% utility score to 'summer fun,' quantified 'midlife crisis avoidance' as a $5,000 value, and listed the risk of drowning as 'negligible (0.1%).' The output said 'BUY.' It wasn't reasoning; it was a numerically themed birthday wish he'd typed into Excel." Rationality Forging
by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026
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