SMOKERS’ CORNER: RATIONAL IRRATIONALITY

To a majority of people who do not support Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), its supporters and leaders appear largely irrational. This perception is driven by a narrative that posits that the words and actions of PTI supporters and party members frequently work against the long-term interests of their own leader and party. Whereas this assessment is rational, one can also contend that what the supporters of PTI say and do is not entirely devoid of rationality. Instead, they are actually demonstrating a flippant version of rationality. This is referred to as “rational irrationality.” Let me explain. According to the American economist Bryan Caplan, adhering to an inflexible and…