In our lives, we often hear about rational or irrational decisions. And we have started to use these descriptions for different situations. When I asked 178 people what it means to be a rational person, I did not receive similar answers. People think about rational ones in terms of situations and emotions. But still, the psychological profile of the rational person includes several different characteristics. Here are the eight that have arisen from research I conducted back in 2019 across a group of 2117 people from seven industries.
The rational person:
Can analyze data
The rational person is the one who can look at the data in front of him and see what makes a difference. This skill is widely explained like data analysis but is more than that. It contains the person’s opportunity to impact the next decisions using a robust and verified data set.
Quantifies
The second describer is the numbers. The rational person sees decisions in numbers. Feelings are essential for relationships, but when a business decision or crucial decisions in their personal life are on the table, they use numbers and compare them to get to the best decision.
Is logical
The love for numbers creates strong logic. Using verified data makes one’s reasoning stronger and appears as a strength when it enters a conversation or needs to convince others in a decision or direction. The logic is so strong as the data used to build it. If the numbers are easy to be changed and the basis is weak, then the final decision is not logical and needs further confirmation.
Is critical
Have you been in a group where everyone agrees with everything? That will not happen if you have a rational person in the room. This person will practically criticize your ideas and decisions to stretch your decision and leave no clue that it will fail. The criticism of the rational person comes from its understanding that a decision is so firm as the weakest point in it.
Is realistic
It would help if you had someone to get you back in reality. That person is the rational person. Rationalism often comes from the knowledge that you know your strengths and development sides. The rational person is not unfamiliar with that. He is there for you, knowing what a capacity of work can be delivered while utilizing the current resources available. Nothing less or more, only truth about what is real and what is fiction. And all that coming from a strong base of data used in the analysis.
Likes numbers
Vital and winning decisions come from standards established. And the best measure is the one described by the numbers. The rational person loves numbers because they give him a secure position when explaining their point. You can not say that three is four. The things are how they are shown in the table or on the presentation slide, etc. Numbers are universal and always deliver in time. That is why the rational person is someone showing love for them.
Knows about money
The best outcome of using and loving numbers is that you can easily predict win or loss. As a universal value, they are an optimal base of information to share information about the money flow. The logic is strong. The money you can make or lose is a function of how good you are with numbers and can calculate possibilities. The rational person is good at planning and executing activities based on how money can be won or deleted from the account.
Knows how things work
The experts in the room are here. Rationalism can be represented by understanding every process in the flow and using its strong and weak sides to win. The rational person is the one who is an expert in the processes. He or she knows how things work in the company, what one process execution can cause, what follows after one or another step in the process, etc. These people often work by standards and know the workflow. That gives them the strength to change the status quo by adding the right steps in time to assure positive results.
Now, why do you not take time to think: Are you a rational person?
The Human place 