dysrationalia means the inability to think and behave rationally despite adequate intelligence. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “dysrationalia” is a great word
DYSRATIONALIA — [Noun] The persistent inability to think and behave rationally despite possessing adequate intelligence. Formed on the model of dyslexia, from the English rational (from Latin rationalis, "of reason") with the Greek-derived prefix dys- ("bad, difficult") and the suffix -ia (denoting a condition); coined in 1993 by Keith Stanovich. Unlike "irrationality," which describes a state or act of unreason, or "stupidity," which implies a deficit in innate cognitive ability, dysrationalia is the specific failure to deploy one's own intellect. It is the brilliant engineer lost to conspiracy theories, the erudite professor making ruinous financial choices, and the sharp wit who cannot recognize their own glaring contradictions—a haunting testament that intelligence is merely the hardware, and rationality, the fragile software we often neglect to update.
noun
- The inability to think and behave rationally despite adequate intelligence.