So here’s my new metaphor for human reason: our rational faculty isn’t a scientist – it’s a talk radio host. That voice in your head spewing out eloquent reasons to do this or do that doesn’t actually know what’s going on, and it’s not particularly adept at getting you nearer to reality. Instead, it only cares about finding reasons that sound good, even if the reasons are actually irrelevant or false.

Jonah Lehrer, “We Are All Talk Radio Hosts,” (Wired)

Clever enough metaphor. Luckily I know very few with an inner Rush Limbaugh. I’m hoping mine behaves more like Amy Goodman or Terry Gross. But I also wonder what happens when you push the metaphor further. Who’s the audience? Who are the advertisers paying for it?