Intellectualization and Rationalization

Two common defense mechanisms employed by people to avoid emotional pain are intellectualization and rationalization.  While they are distinct and different from one another, they are both similar in their methodology for avoiding painful topics and experiencing one’s emotions.  Both are more complex defense mechanisms that we all employ as a means to avoid that which we desire to keep repressed or at bay.  

Rationalization often comes in the form of explaining away or using logic and reasoning to justify one’s own behavior or the behavior of others, rather than sitting with the emotions that may have given rise to the behavior or the feelings that might accompany said action.  We often rationalize around areas of guilt, shame, or anger– rather than accepting these more painful emotions to experience.  An individual might rationalize their dependency on a substance as a means of keeping the emotion of deep shame at bay, and acknowledging the pain that the substance is causing in their lives.  Rather than feeling the reverberations of pain from various acts of betrayal, self-betrayal, or pain– we explain away our actions with reasons for, rather than looking at why we might have engaged in such behaviors in the first place.  People also often rationalize the harmful acts of others, attempting to let them off the hook, or take the blame for the harm they may have caused us.  Parentified children often do this by taking on the responsibility of their parents and siblings, thus taking on the blame for any pain or failings that may have occurred.  Victims of childhood abuse, sexual abuse, or trauma often tak on the blame, oand torutre themslves with the guilt and shame for having not been able to stop the violence or trauma– leaving them in a toxic state of critical shame and self-punishment.  

Intellectualization, while similar, shows itself through philosophical and existential discourse around an issue, to avoid feeling the full force of one’s emotions.  It’s less about explaining things away, and more about debating and philosophizing whether or not these things are true, moral, or meaningful..  I often see clients engage in this defense by exploring the philosophical or existential concerns of an issue, and move away from the emotional impact of a given emotion or feeling or behavior.  Many of us indulge in intellectualization when coming up against painful emotions such as despair, hopelessness, or acceptance.  Rather than staying with the feelings and emotions as they arise, we move to discussing them in terms that are less grounded in our experience, and more at the level of biological and belief systems.  While this can be helpful for integration of beliefs or meaning of said emotions and feelings– it can also lead to emotional bypassing and inability to fully integrate one’s emotional experience on a mind-body level.  We are more than just disembodied minds walking around– though many aspects of modern life would want you to believe or feel this way.  

We see these defenses used in CBT and other ‘evidence-based approaches’, that rely more on biological and empirical science to explain and intellectualize the human experience.  While it can be helpful to understand the biological aspects and functions of our existence, when used primarily to pathologize or reduce a person down to a system of structures within the brain or chemicals– it takes away our agency, emotional experience, and humanity.  Approaches like CBT utilize rationalization and intellectualization to explain why we do things from an evolutionary and biological stance, but ignore our affect and emotions that impact our lives and how we move through the world.  Without understanding our emotions, we will fall prey to them, as they can not be explained away or rationalized.  Emotions have their own logic, and do not function on the level of mathematics, physics or philosophy.  

While these defenses are normal, and a natural mechanism we need to use at times to get through the hardships of life– we must not become over reliant on them, as with any defense.  We must be able to see ourselves using our defenses as they arise, and observe our experience with presence and embracing-acceptance.  Rather than pushing our emotions and feelings away, we would  do better to understand our defenses, acknowledge them, and sit with our pain.  Healing and growth does not occur without embracing our pain, acknowledging our wounds, and sitting in discomfort.  Healing hurts, but without bearing witness to our own pain, there can be no healing.