reasoned out of reason

When reading Moll Flanders, the phrase "reasoned out of my reason" appears multiple times at different phases of Moll's life. We discussed what the significance of this idea might be in class, but did not land on an explanation that I was completely satisfied with, so I will make one more attempt. Reason, is whatever truth Moll has decided on, in regards to the appropriate situation that she is considering. Therefor, Moll's reason is what she projects will make her most happy, and in opposition, the reason counter to that original idea must be appealing in a way other than her happiness. This opposing reasoning that she continually concedes to is the opinion societal norms. If this is true, I have to ask myself why the author would write a book about a woman that constantly ignores what will make her happy in exchange for decisions that bring her a lifetime of misfortune. We recognize the fact that Defoe uses Moll's experience with her mother in America as commentary on punishment and corrections that are developing in that time period. So, my best grab at "reasoned out of my reason" is that Defoe is making another statement, but in this case it is not about crime and instead about a flawed society. Defoe shows his reader the importance of going with our "gut feeling" or "following our heart". Obviously our heart does not have the capability to give us such feelings, and these are actually instincts from our brain correlating decisions we make based on our beliefs and the best we can do is think of these instincts as feelings. Moll's beliefs told her one thing, society told her another and as a result of being reasoned out of her reason she lived a whore.