Skeptical Quotes
When we are self-indulgent and uncritical, when we confuse hopes and facts, we slide into pseudoscience and superstition.
There are many sources of spirituality; religion may be the most common, but it is by no means the only. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades.
I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.
Even the most vaunted experts are susceptible to wishful thinking and can be blinded to a truth by a conviction that is supported more by emotional attachment than reason.
When you`re reading or skimming argumentative essays, especially by philosophers, here is a quick trick that may save you much time and effort, especially in this age of simple searching by computer: look for "surely" in the document, and check each occurrence. Not always, not even most of the time, but often the word "surely" is as good as a blinking light locating a weak point in the argument.
Myths, whether in written or visual form, serve a vital role of asking unanswerable questions and providing unquestionable answers. Most of us, most of the time, have a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty. We want to reduce the cognitive dissonance of not knowing by filling the gaps with answers. Traditionally, religious myths have served that role, but today - the age of science - science fiction is our mythology.
Skepticism is the agent of reason against organized irrationalism - and is therefore one of the keys to human social and civic decency.
Science helps us avoid dogmatism: basing conclusions on authority rather than logic and evidence.
There is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal. There is only the natural, the normal, and mysteries we have yet to explain.
It is not so much that I have confidence in scientists being right, but that I have so much in nonscientists being wrong.
It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science.