Typical rational thinking by itself does not present any direction on what to do about situations.

In order to think in a truly full and useful rational way it is important to turn thinking inwards.

Deciding how situations fit with our meaning and purpose is essential for full and useful rational thinking.

When confronting emotional distress, think more about its fit with how you define meaning and purpose.

Thinking rationally is often presented as a magic answer to life’s problems. If we can just think more rationally and understand the reality of our world, then we will feel much better.

At least that’s what people say. But the truth is, just recognizing the reality of what is happening to us and around us often is not enough. We can understand clearly what is happening and still feel lousy about it.

Take the following example. A person recognizes that their job is no longer working for them. They go into work every day, put in the hours and feel absolutely terrible. After thinking about it, they realize that they hate their job. It may be that the work is no longer meaningful, they don’t feel like they are going anywhere, their boss is a tyrant, or a combination of all three. Coming to........

© Psychology Today