Hyper-Rational

Description: Intense and exclusive focus on the rational processing of everything, including relationships. Can be perceived as cold, distant, and intellectually arrogant.

Characteristics: 

• Intense and active mind, sometimes coming across as intellectually arrogant or secretive.
• Private and don’t let many people into my deeper feelings.
• Mostly show feelings through passion in ideas.
• Prefer to just watch the craziness around me and analyze from a distance.
• Can lose track of time due to my intense concentration.
• High penchant for skepticism and debate.

Thoughts: 

• The rational mind is where it is at.
• Feelings are distracting and irrelevant.
• Many people are so irrational and sloppy in their thinking.
• Needs and emotions of others distract me from my projects.
• I need to shut out intrusions.
• What I value most is knowledge, understanding, and insight.
• Self worth is attached to mastering knowledge and competence.

Feelings: 

• Frustrated with others being emotional and not rational enough.
• Anxious about preserving personal time, energy, and resources against intrusions.
• Feeling different, alone, and not understood.
• Often skeptical or cynical.

Justification Lies: 

• The rational mind is the most important thing.
• It should be protected from the wasteful intrusion of people’s messy emotions and needs, so it can get its work done.

Impact on Self and Others: 

• Limits the depth and flexibility of relationships in work and life by analyzing rather than experiencing feelings.
• Intimidates less analytically intense people.

Original Survival Function:

• The Hyper-Rational is a good survival strategy in early childhood circumstances of emotional turmoil or chaotic surroundings.
• The escape into the neat and orderly rational mind generates a sense of security or a sense of intellectual superiority.
•  It also gains us attention and praise by showing up as the smartest person in the room.