Rationally Irrational

We are, to a fault, rationally irrational people. Yes, I did contradict myself on purpose. We as humans are always searching for definitive, comprehensible empirical "truths". Whether that is through religion, science, social acceptance, awards, or other tangible ways to define values, accomplishments and 'sins', all humans look to some system, some set of ideals to structure their lives by. However, if one were to take a step back, the apparent problem with this solution is easy to debate and often is between people. Using oversimplified, man-made systems to try to answer all-encompassing questions and decide how to live one's life by ultimately falls short of being able to satisfy anyone entirely. The problem isn't necessarily attributed to people using these simplified systems of explanations, but rather, that many people, scientists, philosophers, priests, politicians, etc. all think that their system is the best way and diminishes all other sets of ideals, values, and morals to being lesser than their own. By treating these systems as though they are all independent of one another, is just as unrealistic as the individual sets of values themselves. Between all of these categories, predetermined values (by other humans), and expectations that various institutions deem fit, people easily forget that all of these systems have been put in place by other men and women just like you and me. This is what makes humans rationally irrational. People justify and structure their lives in accordance to what they have been exposed to throughout their lives. This is when Descartes "common sense" comes into play. All humans posses the ability to use universal reason to determine their own empirical truths throughout there lifetime. However, only using ideals that one has experienced would put themselves at an extreme disadvantage, thus people use the previously made up systems either taught to them or learned throughout their life in order to even the playing field. I am not saying that using predetermined systems is necessarily bad, it is the best methods that humans have thus far come up with in effort to explain and structure their lives by.