Beleive It Or Not, A Sceptic Is Someone Who:

[Likely Guy]

"Beleive It Or Not, A Sceptic Is Someone Who:

habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs"

No they don't, they doubt the authenticity of purported beliefs.

[Obviousman]

A sceptic / skeptic is one who applies critical thinking and scientific method to the examination of knowledge, perceptions and beliefs.

[Babe Ruth]

So anybody can be a skeptic, I agree. I say skepticism is healthy.

And ultimately skepticism is a function of one's own common sense. If a person tells you that he was once the President of the US, you are skeptical of his claim unless you know you're talking to Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton.

If a person well known for his mendacity tells you anything, you are skeptical of his claims because of his history.

[booNyzarC]

So anybody can be a skeptic, I agree. I say skepticism is healthy.

And ultimately skepticism is a function of one's own common sense. If a person tells you that he was once the President of the US, you are skeptical of his claim unless you know you're talking to Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton.

If a person well known for his mendacity tells you anything, you are skeptical of his claims because of his history.

Nice description of why hardly anybody takes anything you say seriously.

[RaptorBites]

"Beleive It Or Not, A Sceptic Is Someone Who:

habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs"

No they don't, they doubt the authenticity of purported beliefs.

By far, the best definition of a Skeptic.

[Corp]

I'm getting less a "skepticism is weakening" vibe and more a "people aren't agreeing with me" vibe. It doesn't matter if a theory is from the mainstream or some guy who wears a cat for a hat, skepticism can correctly be applied to both.

[Hasina]

I'm getting less a "skepticism is weakening" vibe and more a "people aren't agreeing with me" vibe. It doesn't matter if a theory is from the mainstream or some guy who wears a cat for a hat, skepticism can correctly be applied to both.

Hey! I'm not a guy! Wait.. You were making a general statement about cats as hats... Anyway... I agree. Anyone who disagrees and argues against a certain viewpoint is a skeptic of that view, simple.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Hasina

[Obviousman]

Anyone who disagrees and argues against a certain viewpoint is a skeptic of that view, simple.

No, they are an opponent of that view. A skeptic examines the facts and deduces what is either proven, more likely, etc. For instance, ESP. An opponent of the view that ESP exists will say that ESP is rubbish.

A skeptic will say something like that there has been little or no credible evidence for the existance of ESP, that under controlled conditions ESP has failed to manifiest itself however it may exist... just that no-one has yet been able to prove it.

[lightly]

skeptical is just another word for doubtful . skeptic is not some grandiose title... it simply means a person has doubts... *about something.. or is not easily convinced

skeptical |ˈskeptikəl| ( Brit. sceptical)

adjective

1 not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations : the public were deeply skeptical about some of the proposals.

2 Philosophy relating to the theory that certain knowledge is impossible.

Edited October 6, 2012 by lightly

[Babe Ruth]

Nice description of why hardly anybody takes anything you say seriously.

They may not take me seriously, but they sure like to talk about what I post about. Sometimes Kluge & MID post pages of vitriol in response to my posts.

Orwell noted that if the language can be corrupted, what follows naturally is that thought processes are then corrupted.

So today, after 11 years of story telling in the Goebbels tradition, men calling themselves skeptics believe the most outrageous story ever told, and told to them by a government well known for its mendacity.

Yes, corrupt the language.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

They may not take me seriously, but they sure like to talk about what I post about. Sometimes Kluge & MID post pages of vitriol in response to my posts.

Careful, that could be construed as an admission of trolling....

Edited October 6, 2012 by Daughter of the Nine Moons

[ian hacktorp]

Careful, that could be construed as an admission of trolling....

I sure hope you're kidding...BR's posts are always thoughtful and well-stated. The same can't be said for many of those who cast stones his way, unfortunately.

Perhaps a better word to use would have been 'mis-construed'.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

I sure hope you're kidding...BR's posts are always thoughtful and well-stated. The same can't be said for many of those who cast stones his way, unfortunately.

Perhaps a better word to use would have been 'mis-construed'.

No, I meant what I said. If a person is being deliberately disruptive or posting just to cause a reaction, then that by definition is trolling. Period.

[JamesThomas]

Hmmm, maybe I'm not getting it but that seems contradictory. If they trust the mainstream the way I think you mean it then they're not skeptics, almost by definition; maybe you mean 'self-proclaimed skeptics'. And sometimes people don't trust the mainstream, they agree with the mainstream, because some of what constitutes the mainstream is, well, factual.

True, and in that respect they'd be skeptical. A key part of being a skeptic though is to apply that same level of skepticism, or even better more, to their own beliefs and conclusions; on that front there are definitely some CTs who come up short.

Actually I think you are getting it. It seems everything is upside down. At least that's way it seems to be within my small group of associates and friends. The people who say they are a "skeptic", almost 100% of the time agree with the mainstream press and the government on an issue. It's the "conspiracy" "nut jobs", like me who question authority and the mass prevailing beliefs. According to basic definitions, it should be the other way around, shouldn't it? Or have I just wigged-out...and am seeing things that are not here?

[Anonymous User]

Skeptic is a meaningless label in my eyes, the people that call themselves one make it sound like a job. It makes skepticism sound extreme, because it implies that you're supposed to be skeptical of absolutely everything whether is be things actually worth of skepticism, the paranormal, ect or totally ridicules things like doubt whether or not the sun will rise. I see skepticism as a practice that should be carried out and demonstrated in situations where it should be applied, not a silly fashion statement. IMO.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Thomas J

[Babe Ruth]

No, I meant what I said. If a person is being deliberately disruptive or posting just to cause a reaction, then that by definition is trolling. Period.

Thanks for the kind words Hacktorp.

The vast majority of my posts here at UM are with good people who are courteous and receive the same. I enjoy posting here because of that.

I do not mean to disrupt anything at all. Some posters are less courteous than others. Some posts are less courteous than others.

We're here to discuss opinions. Nobody can control the personalities of others, here on the internet.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

According to the dictionary a sceptic (skeptic) is:

1. a person who habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs

2. a person who mistrusts people, ideas, etc, in general

What the hell happened?!!!

Now days a skeptic is a *snip* who parrots the mainstream of media and closed-minded science.

And the person who doubts authority is now a "Conspiracy Theorist".

What's going on?

Good observation mate. Can I use it as signature?

[Babe Ruth]

The modern connotation of the word is rather an example of Orwell's observation that if the language can be corrupted, the logical result is a corruption of the thought processes.

There is a comical quality to it--men who believe outlandish government stories describe themselves as being skeptics.

[JGirl]

i'm skeptical of the definition of skeptical.

[JGirl]

I'm getting less a "skepticism is weakening" vibe and more a "people aren't agreeing with me" vibe. It doesn't matter if a theory is from the mainstream or some guy who wears a cat for a hat, skepticism can correctly be applied to both.

how about a gal who wears a cat for a hat?

[Babe Ruth]

i'm skeptical of the definition of skeptical.

I hear ya....but at some point we must agree to definitions if rational public dialogue is to ensue.

[Anonymous User]

how about a gal who wears a cat for a hat?

Is that Sandra Bullock lol?

[lightly]

that's just too weird

[turbonium]

A true 'skeptic' questions the 'accepted' account, the mainstream viewpoint. A skeptic challenges the status quo.

A false skeptic supports the 'accepted' account without question, and then challenges the true skeptics.

It's a deliberate, planned hijacking of the term. imo.

They are disinfo/misinfo agents, feeding government propaganda.

[Sthenno]

What happened? Semantics happened. Popular culture, by way of the X-Files and Richard Dawkins, transformed skepticism into a belief system. Because of the context in which we're usually exposed to the term (people are, for example, more often described as 'skeptical' of the existence of UFOs than, say, the merits of the two-party political system), 'skeptic' has come to mean someone opposed to more outlandish or esoteric ideas, rather than ideas in general.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Sthenno