In 1808 he became astronomer to the Bureau des Longitudes; and when the Faculté des sciences de Paris was instituted in 1809 he was appointed a professor of rational mechanics (professeur de mécanique rationelle).
(James 5:13-16) A man dealing with severe ongoing depression stated: “Sometimes talking to someone you trust helps ease the mind and calm the spirit, so that rational thinking prevails.”
Rationalizing hermeneutics of myth became even more popular under the Roman Empire, thanks to the physicalist theories of Stoic and Epicurean philosophy.
It would be folly to fill our lives with unessential activities and acquisitions, perhaps rationalizing that doing this is acceptable, since these things are not necessarily bad in themselves.