Skepticus Maximus

[pjthompson]

Random quote of the day:


"Confirmation bias refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore, not look for, or undervalue the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs."

—Robert Todd Carroll, The Skeptic's Dictionary












I don't like to editorialize on the quotes, preferring to let them stand and fall on their own. (So, okay, maybe sometimes the illustrations editorialize somewhat. So sue me.) But the temptation to say to this quote, "Including skepticism," is almost more than I can stand. So instead of saying that, I'll refer you to this very interesting debate between Deepak Chopra, scientist and mystic, and Michael Shermer, psychology professor and publisher of Skeptic magazine, on the positive and negative aspects of skepticism.


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Comments

[mrngglry98.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally have a problem with selective thinking (as a skeptic myself). I also have the problem of elitist thinking because all I can come up with in defense of my skepticism is, "Well, thank goodness my bias is towards skepticism! It could've been towards something DUMB!" hehehe

[pjthompson]

lol--well, we've all got our crutches. ;-)

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I'm torn between wanting to be a romantic (of the mystical sort that sees and believes in fairies) and feeling skeptical of the claims of those who say they do. I cope by writing fantasy stories that draw on fairy tales for their inspiration.

[pjthompson]

I think romantic skepticism is a perfectly acceptable stance. It mirrors my own. ;-) I believe in many things, but I don't plan my day around them. :-)