Are Skeptics closed-minded, nay-saying curmudgeons?
If you agree with this assessment, you've mistaken skepticism for cynicism. These labels are often confused, but they're not interchangeable at all. Skepticism is a positive outlook of enquiry, open-mindedness, curiosity and wonder, not a negative, narrow-mindedness based in pessimism and misanthropy. Dictionaries and thesauruses often claim that skeptic and cynic are synonymous, but as a Linguist, I can assure you that these sources aren't always accurate. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Joe Nickell, the modern ‘Sherlock Holmes’ of the Committee for Scientific Inquiry (was CSICOP, now known as CSI). I told Joe that I've been an “investigator of the paranormal and pseudoscientific” for the past 10 years, at which he interjected, “I like that...you called yourself an ‘investigator’, rather than a ‘debunker’. That sounds much more positive”...........
The problem is that 'skeptic' doesn't strike me as a synonym for 'investigator.' Investigator does sound positive, yes, since it implies that someone's searching for the truth, but it's also a completely different word from 'skeptic', which implies that the person's already leaning towards a certain opinion (Of the negative variety).
I also thought skepticism usually means being doubtful about a certain fact ('I'm skeptical about aliens existing') and that cynicism means having a negative attitude about something ('Human beings are evil', 'People are inherently self-serving', 'I bet that guy's going to screw me over).
I don't think being skeptical's a bad thing by default - it could just be someone with a reasonable opinion or educated guess rather than a closed-minded, nay-saying curdmudgeon - but I've always thought it does imply leaning towards something, and thus wouldn't associate it with a wide-eyed sort of curiosity where both options are considered equally viable.
Post could probably be written better, but I'm tired.
Skeptic is derived from the Greek skeptikos, which means "inquiring" or "to look around". Refer to the following articles for further info concerning skepticism.
The Fitness Skeptic http://maxcondition.com/page.php?105
Realize that the need to believe, and serve others, are basic human needs
In general our expectations pretty much determine what we see and don’t see (magicians take full advantage of this expectation)
Humans lie and they BS (almost always with a vested interest)
Under specific conditions hallucinations may occur in healthy people
For many people that don’t understand specific phenomena they would rather believe something than say they don’t know
Apply skepticism in a very cautious manner to particular subjects e.g. religion, abortion, death penalty etc.
Realize you can’t be skeptical 100% of the time as there are not enough hours in the day
The skilled skeptic must learn when to keep their questions to themselves if not you will have many enemies (be a Practical Skeptic)
The majority of society does not understand science nor are they interested (they want to know what to think not how to think)
Skilled skeptics understand the rules of logic, the principles of experimentation, experimental design and what constitutes scientific evidence
Human beings are fallible and have a need sometimes have a need to be right
Human beings have a strong need for certainty, security and stability
Human beings have strong social needs (although not all human beings)
Human beings have a strong need for simplicity, easily understandable answers to complex questions
Human beings like to feel important
Skilled skeptics do not make judgments based on insufficient evidence
Skilled skeptics realizes there are varying degrees of certainty but no absolute certainty
Skilled skeptics listen to other people’s ideas with an open mind
Skill skeptics understand all knowledge is tentative
Skilled skeptics are aware of their own personal bias, and aware when their skepticism turns to cynicism
Skilled skeptics habitually question their own beliefs and methods that were used to come to those beliefs
Skilled skeptics are educated on research methodology (this means at an advanced level)
Skilled skeptics avoid Hero Worship (e.g. James Randi says or Michael Shermer says, also referred to as Appeal to Authority Fallacy)
Skilled skeptics realize science does not explain everything nor does it claim to
Skilled skeptics do not fall prey to the Translation Fallacy (this fallacy occurs when the subject being discussed cannot be defined. If you can define the word or topic forget about stating your opinion.)
Skepticism
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