Information has never been easier to acquire. Unfortunately, we are increasingly being faced with radical ideas and science deniers. With conspiracies and fake news taking center stage on our feeds, we have been inundated with wild information and the matter of whose opinion is the “right” take.
This can be a truly scary thing, distrust and misinformation are growing rapidly. Conflict is destined to arise when trying to take on misinformation without the proper tools too. After all, cognitive dissonance can take hold of anyone. When we cling to preconceived thoughts and are presented with new information that isn’t aligned with our thinking it’s natural to want to reject the new information. This isn’t productive though! This is why I want to urge you to utilize healthy skepticism.
What is healthy skepticism?
When we get stuck in our ways it’s easy to cling to anything that lets you get sucked deeper into your view. But, blind reliance is risky and can lead to ignorance. So, being a healthy skeptic means you accept new information, not because it validates your views, but because you sought out evidence to back up the claim before you accepted it.
As members of a productive society, we must strive for furthering our understanding and gaining more complete knowledge. When presented with new information, don’t just arbitrarily accept or dismiss the claims made. We must be skeptical and examine available evidence before reaching a decision on rejecting or accepting the information.
Being skeptical doesn’t mean you should doubt the validity of everything though, and it doesn’t mean you should be cynical. Instead, you need to judge the validity of a claim based on objective evidence. We need to take charge and withhold judgment until sufficient evidence is presented. This allows us to consider all possibilities while remaining impartial. Skepticism, therefore, allows us to reach logical conclusions that are backed by unbiased evidence.
This is why the scientific method is so amazing as science begins with healthy skepticism! A scientist approaches problems believing the question under investigation is not true, this is called the null hypothesis. Failure to reject the null hypothesis doesn’t mean the hypothesis is false, but instead that the current information does not make it certain that the hypothesis is true. It’s only when there is plenty of accurate information that we can reject the null. This makes it so the burden of truth is on the person making the claim.
This makes it so truth is nurtured by unbiased thought. Clarity and straightforwardness make truths powerful and easy to test. So, it’s not the job of the skeptic to disprove a claim. But we should always be seeking truth. Therefore, we should demonstrate healthy skepticism.
Don’t confuse skepticism with denial.
Denial is when you cling to an idea or belief despite mounting evidence disproving your view. The people who question scientists, not because they demand better practices or better information, but because the science doesn’t reinforce their views are in denial.
When faced with drastic change, it’s not unusual for people to deny bad news to cope but denial is counter-productive. Denial prevents appropriate planning and timely action that might delay or lessen the severity of change. Many can fall into the trap of believing they are being a healthy skeptic when they are actually in denial, so we must educate ourselves and examine our biases to avoid denial pitfalls.
Healthy skepticism leads to positive change.
Science is always open to revision; this is how we advance our ideas. Being comfortable talking impartially and being objective in everyday life helps us further our own intellect by creating space to expand our ideas. Detaching ourselves from our biases allows us room to grow and therefore be more productive and inclusive.
We want to be informed but we must be properly informed. Being skeptical allows us to remain objective and think critically about problems presented to us. Doing this allows us to problem-solve and collaborate!
In order to promote positive change, we must be able to talk impartially about facts and ideas. Being a healthy skeptic will help cut through climate denial agendas. Healthy skepticism demands evidence while protecting us from manipulation, so being a healthy skeptic will help you become aware of biases and potential bad practices from other parties.
How to be a healthy skeptic:
First, you must be aware. Cultivate your ability to check yourself! Are you demonstrating healthy skepticism or are you being willfully ignorant? Being able to recognize potential biases and listen to all sides of a story will not only give you a complete view but also help you determine the best course of action.
Second, you must do your own research. Develop your critical thinking skills by getting curious and continuously learning. Doing so will give you the tools to reflect on knowledge or insights others may present you and lead you away from being in denial if your current knowledge is contradicted. We must interrogate knowledge by looking critically at facts and data with our own eyes.
Third, don’t accept things at face value. Skepticism creates a space for accountability. So, diving deeper into information makes it harder to act on your emotions. Instead, you’ll be able to think rationally and quantitatively about whether the information is reliable before being persuaded.
Fourth, be critical of the information you consume. Trust is important but too much trust can lead to a narrow worldview, just like how too much skepticism can lead to denial. Therefore, it’s important you don’t blindly trust your sources. Even with good intentions, people can lead others astray. We need to educate ourselves and learn which sources are to be trusted and which aren’t. We must assess the quality of our sources and the quality of our reasoning. Avoid anecdotal and personal evidence in favor of true science, which has quantifiable results that can be replicated.
Be a skeptic but don’t be in denial.
Get comfortable with asking questions and be mindful of potential bias. Keep an open mind when presented with new ideas but take things with a grain of salt until you can see the information for yourself. Be skeptical until you know the whole picture.
Don’t let yourself be easily convinced by things but also don’t shut down when presented with new information. Get curious and learn more. Be skeptical of what you presume to know and be skeptical when presented with new information, but use my tips to do so in a way that will foster growth and positive change.