Rationale

I was explaining the concept of the Rationale field in the PRD to a relatively new BA today. I had explained it to him before, and he had gone back, rewritten and still given me something that resembled a "what" not a "why". This confused me because this word is not jargon. Rationale is a word used in everyday life. "What is my rationale for refinancing my house? I want a shorter term with a lower interest rate!" So we worked on it, wrote a few together, and then sent him on his way to try his hand at it again. I returned to my work and then I got to thinking... Is it so hard to understand if a person can't tell me why he wants to retrieve a certain type of data, even if it is his job is to do so? How many things do I do each day in my life without knowing why? I am notorious for telling nervous jokes when I should be quiet. I eat chicken wings even though they make me feel sick. And I over-share. Why do I do these things? There certainly is a reason, but I am never thinking about the rationale. If I did, I wouldn't be reaching for the extra-hot pepper sauce. I wonder, is rationale on the tip of other people's tongues? Are they more self-aware? Do they know why they do what they do? Food for thought... '