People have the capacity to use reason, to make sense, to be understanding, yet many choose not to.

Splendid examples of this are found in the bug-eyed look where the glistening eyes enlarge showing their whites and shrink according to the excitement value of the stimulus; the glassy eyed, drop jawed, dribble of saliva expression; and the change of subject, reasoning through bias, and irritated disposition way of interacting with others are to be expected nowadays as intelligent methods of discourse.

Its counterpart is reasonable thinking, defined as internally motivated and undistracted thinking.

A bug-eyed person would show up at a Trial of Neurenburg hanging execution and think it was the most horrible violation of human rights, not because she understands the causes but because we shouldn’t hurt the condemned’s feelings.

Bug-eyed people operate according to the reaction of their feelings based on external stimuli that is happening right now in front of them. Only their immediate feelings are real for them. What is happening in the world around them and with other people is ultimately irrelevant.

Reasonable thinking involves the thinking behind why things are the way they are, whereby reasonable connections are made in discovering this why, and the situation is understood as it is in itself.

A reasonable person may feel saddened by the hanging of those who chose evil, but he understands the reasoning behind why they are meeting their demise and understands the principles of justice they are being held accountable to. A reasonable person regards another person as relevant, meaningfully related to other people, and accountable.

Unfortunately, no bug-eyed person will be able to understand any of this. Paramount for them will be a feeling of malcontent that seems to justify an additional feeling that the pronouncements here are wrong, even though they must first be able to understand what they may be in disagreement towards, for a proper disagreement.

Only through the use of tools of reason, such as being undistracted and making sensible connections are people able to be understanding—tools which the bug-eyed person is wholly without.