“Skeptical” forms the other half of this site’s name, so let’s discuss it a bit. We probably all know what skeptical means—doubting that something is true; questioning its veracity. It is a withholding of certainty on an issue, even if it is the prevailing belief or position. It also can refer to “someone who is not easily convinced.”
The opposite of skeptical would be ‘gullible’ or ‘dogmatic.’ The former refers to people who are much too easily convinced; too quick to believe something. The latter refers to an unwillingness to question a position or set of positions at all. Either attitude tends to turn people into sheep who do not even remotely think for themselves, which in turn makes it more difficult to advance the cause of individualism.
Skepticism is a good thing. One way to think of it is as maintaining an “open mind.” That’s right—when you are amidst a group of mind-numbed robots who cannot believe that you dare not to follow the party line and drink the kool aid, you may tell them that you are keeping an open mind (open mindedness being an easy idea to defend).
Most everyone is naturally skeptical of some things, such as when one obviously stands to benefit from the position one is putting forward, or when one has been caught in the same lie before. Examples:
- The dog ate my homework
- Our product is twice as good as the competition’s—for only half the price!
- Everything my political opponent has done is bad, and everything I have done is good.
There are other areas, though, where most people would have to actively strive to remind themselves that they should question and doubt the truth of certain things. For example, many people seem to have a much lower likelihood of doubting statements made by the government than by a corporation (which in turn steers them towards sympathy with the lefty, regressive platform). Why should we be any less skeptical of government than of anyone else? Are they somehow less power hungry, less likely to distort the truth to their advantage? If anything, the people drawn to politics are the most likely to be greedy for power at all costs, even if it means misleading the public to obtain it.
So, we should strive to maintain our skeptical attitude towards all things. This approach will by means result in you believing nothing—rather, it will keep you aware of and focused on the proof for those things that you accept as true.
One thing that makes skepticism difficult is a tendency in many humans to desire certainty, and conversely to be unsettled by uncertainty. Overcoming this tendency is a matter for each individual to solve, and may be a topic for philosophy. However, there is also a degree to which it is a habit of thinking, and thus may be overcome by establishing and getting used to the reverse habit (i.e., of being skeptical all of the time).
We will not be hypocrites on this issue: I am doubting your sources and claims, and ask you to reevaluate them. You want me to doubt mine again, too? No problem! Let’s go back to the evidence. . .
A good dose of additional skepticism in this country—and in the world, for that matter—leads to more independent thinking, which leads to more sentiment towards individualism and liberty.
Objective and Skeptical 