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Is there a word that describes an individual that can always find a reason for justifying any action? The action a may or may not be a moral issue but they will still justify it through some skewed reasoning that may sound rational. I heard a radio DJ say the word and definition but I couldn't write it down at the time.
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veteran
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veteran
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Here's one that fits...
rationalization noun (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings.
also to rationalize verb to defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning.
Last edited by themilum; 04/22/07 06:45 PM.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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You might try OneLook's Reverse Dictionary. However, it may return thousands of hits, only .01 percent of which will be at all relevant
At least, that's been my experience. One of these days when there's nothing else to do I shall contact them with my complaint and suggest they provide an alternate means for a fewer number of more applicable hits
Unless you feel the same way and volunteer to say it better than I could
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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it might help to understand the way OneLook's reverse dictionary works: it simply searches the definitions in the data base for your keyword or phrase and returns the resulting hits -- which explains all of the seeming irrelevants.
try couching your complaint in terms relevant to that!
-joe (non sequitur) friday
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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James (welcome aboard James)is looking for a word to describe the person not the activity. A rationalist is someone else altogether. Any other suggested words?
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addict
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Carpal Tunnel
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Lawyers are pretty good at this . And politicians. (no, this is no undercover political post.) I'm really curious to read that word.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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tsu: I had suspected that's the way it works. My suggestion entails a possible link to an algorithm more extensive in its breadth but returning fewer but more pertinent hits
dalehileman
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journeyman
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journeyman
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Rationalists don't rationalize their acts, Rationalizers rationalize their acts. As opposed to guns and people, where guns clearly kill people.
I exist! I am a pedant! I have a foreboding signature!
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veteran
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James (welcome aboard James)is looking for a word to describe the person not the activity. A rationalist is someone else altogether. Any other suggested words? Is zatso, Zed? James (if you read carefully) is asking for an existing word for one who rationalizes incongruously, not for the invention of a word that might fit. Right, James? So to personify a characteristic we can simply add an "-er" at the end. e.g. rationalizationerOr, in your case, a "-ette" would fit. e.g. rationalizationetteThere is a tsuwm-type word for this type of word construction but I forget what it is.
Last edited by themilum; 04/25/07 08:46 AM.
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