Justification of Justification

In short – being defensive of your position or stance…and then continuing to defend the reason offered to justify it.

We all do this in some shape or form. We not only justify why we believe in something, but we justify the explanation we give. Like anything, there is a spectrum in how much people do this. Different people do it to varying degrees. Many are at the lower end of the spectrum, while others are at the other end. Those people are defensive to the core. They are hell bent on being defensive about their views, beliefs, or actions no matter what. Nothing can change that thinking…no data, no facts. They will keep justifying.

Recently I was talking to someone and saw this in action. Here was a very nice and educated person but he went on defending his view on something and kept on justifying it. I am the first to give anyone credit if they defend their position with fervor. Justifying one’s position or stance is a fair game and I respect that even though I may not necessarily agree with it. But when they feverishly continue to justify not just their original view but subsequent reasonings for it gets too much for me. I watched with amusement – he went on and on justifying …he was feverishly rationalizing and doubling down on his position. He meant no disrespect or was not marginalizing anyone but kept on rationalizing and explaining his views passionately. He was not vicious or nasty, but he was not entertaining anything else. I don’t think he realized that he was doing that. To me he was being quite defensive.

This episode with this wonderful person made me realize that there are several people like that. They mean no harm or ill will, but they will keep on doing it. I don’t think they realize it that they are doing it that way. But someone like me who I think is fair, balanced, independent and consistent sees through this. And I have seen this both in personal and professional life. This happens across cultures. In different cultures people are shaped by its beliefs and values. But in every culture one will see the need to defend those beliefs and its rationale. That instinct to defend is human nature. The reasons for defending or rationalizing may differ i.e., traditions, values, cultural dimensions etc. but the need to defend is universal.

Since I have spent significant time in my adopted country and of course in my motherland, I think I am in a position to share my observations. I am not in any way comparing the two or saying one way is better than the other or anything else but just stating what I have observed. With Indians, in general, I have observed this tendency to be somewhat more pronounced. Being a collective society, community and social harmony are important, besides traditions and beliefs, which can make people justify their positions more often. And the other thing I have observed that it does not matter which region of India one is from – tendency is there. And as far as Americans go I have noticed that they do it for different reasons and ways as the US is more of an individualistic society in which personal choices and rights, independence and freedom are important. Also, the US is home to millions of immigrants who have come to the US from about 200 countries, this tendency is more or less noticeable depending on the cultural influences they bring with them from where they are from.