This story also embodies the irrational behavior addressed by the prompt. The narrator succumbs to the influence of alcohol and indulges himself without thought of what his behavior was like when intoxicated. He drinks and becomes frustrated and angered by his animals. He cruelly maltreats them. He even gauges out the eye of his cat and later hangs it from a tree, simply because he knew it was the wrong thing to do. He drowns out his guilt with more alcohol. In the end, he kills his wife with an ax out of rage. He clearly did not think about what his actions would bring in the long run. His wife was dead, his cat was dead, and he was on death row for his crimes. This is what acting irrationally can do to our society.