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There are things that we can try to make sound reasonable in our minds that are not really rational, we do it all the time--usually they're little things that we never really discuss--like wanting to go extra fast in a section of road that is known as a speed trap--or making sure an item is placed in the middle of something even if there's no worry of it falling over--little things--obsessions, and we can try to make those obsessions sound reasonable and rational in our heads, but when we really break it down, the reasons are irrational. For an extreme example, look how mass murderers try to rationalize their actions.
Like I said, if reason plays a role it is not irrational. It's a "superstition" and "irrational" for me to be throw salt over my shoulder. It's salt. I know what salt is. There is no logical connection between salt and whatever throwing salt over your shoulder is supposed to do (it escapes me and I don't feel like looking it up). Mind you, that doesn't mean throwing salt over your shoulder will not have the intended effect. It just means that I have no reason to think it will.