We sometimes delude ourselves that we proceed in a rational manner!

We sometimes delude ourselves that we proceed in a rational manner and weight all of the pros and cons of various alternatives. But this is seldom the actual case. Quite often “I decided in favor of X” is no more than “I liked X.” . . . We buy the cars we “like,” choose the jobs and houses we find “attractive,” and then justify these choices by various reasons.
—Robert B. Zajonc, “Feeling and Thinking:
Preferences Need No Inferences”

We sometimes delude ourselves that we proceed in a rational manner!