The Performance of Reason
Performative rationality refers to the strategic use of “reasoned” discourse not to engage, but to:
· Win arguments
· Assert authority
· Avoid accountability
· Maintain social dominance
It weaponises reason and civility to dominate discourse rather than foster genuine dialogue. The result is a politics of tone and appearance that rewards the calm speaker, regardless of content, and punishes those whose truths cannot be neatly contained.
Appearing emotional undermines legitimacy. Speaking calmly, using technical jargon, and maintaining emotional distance are interpreted as markers of professionalism—even when the underlying behaviour is harmful, dishonest, or dehumanising.
Through this mechanism, racism, sexism, ableism, and transphobia are smuggled into “rational” discourse, shielded by the veneer of calm debate. Those who resist are not just dismissed—they are disciplined for breaking the unspoken rules of decorum. Challenging injustice is seen as inappropriate because it disrupts the performance. The manner in which something is said becomes more scrutinised than the truth or urgency of what is being said.
Remaining calm in the face of injustice is physiological labour. The body absorbs what the culture refuses to acknowledge. We are expected to remain calm under duress, to endure microaggressions, and humiliation in silence. When we do speak out, the reaction—not the offence—becomes the problem. The violence of “remaining calm” lies in this forced emotional containment — the expectation to be both dignified and docile while absorbing ongoing harm.
The demand for composure in the face of dehumanisation is a form of violence—quiet, insidious, and cumulative. It settles in the muscles, embeds in the nervous system, and lingers in the cells. It asks not only that people silence their truths, but that they betray their own bodies in the process. This violence wears down the body in ways that remain invisible to outsiders, yet are deeply and intimately felt by those of us forced to live inside the performance.
If we are serious about equity, we must look beyond the surface of composure and listen to the substance of pain. We must recognise that the refusal to remain calm in the face of injustice is not a failure of decorum—it is a form of truth-telling. And truth does not always arrive quietly.