Quotes About Skepticism

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an athiest.

Cynicism was bread and meat to everyone. And irony, too. Maybe it couldn't be helped. It was probably even necessary.

I always got a bit pissed off with those broadsheet sceptics who make their living being passionately angry about homeopathy, God, synchronicity or whatever, because it's as if they can't get past their emotions, and in their rage they become as faith-driven as the beliefs they criticise. I always said they give scientists a bad name. After all, science has to be about asking unthinkable questions, not closing down debate.

Skeptics," he said, "suffer from the skeptics' disease— the problem of being right too often.

One thing I can say with complete certainty is that it is a bad idea to trust the majority of experts in any domain in which both complexity and large amounts of money are involved.

This was about the time that my opinion of experts, and authority figures in general, began a steady descent that continues to this day.

I'm saying that people claim to believe in God, but most don't literally believe. They only act as though they believe because there are earthly benefits in doing so. They create a delusion for themselves because it makes them happy.

The human mind is a delusion generator, not a window to truth. Everyone, including skeptics, will generate delusions that match their views. That is how a normal and healthy brain works. Skeptics are not exempt from self-delusion.

I encourage you to remain skeptical about any details in this book, but it might help you to know I'm in good company—philosophically speaking—on the big picture: Humans think they are rational, and they think they understand their reality. But they are wrong on both counts.

Most people think they have perfectly good bullshit detectors. But if that were the case, trial juries would always be unanimous, and we'd all have the same religious beliefs.

Don't trust, and never verify." Roy said, "That doesn't fill me with confidence.

People only worry about the uncanny for about a week; that's the end of their attention span. After that, suspicions turn into shtick.

daß Mißverständnisse und Trägheit vielleicht mehr Irrungen in der Welt machen als List und Bosheit. Wenigstens sind die beiden letzteren gewiß seltener.

An intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous.

Belief is the enemy.

Most of all, immunize yourself from the drug companies efforts to convince you that you desperately need their advertised products. If you really needed the product, it is unlikely that drug companies would be spending money on advertising. Remember, there aren't many ads for insulin on TV.

To believe all men honest is folly. To believe none is something worse.

Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold. What have we to offer in exchange? Uncertainty! Insecurity! – Isaac Asimov

Never trust governments absolutely and always do what you can to prevent them from doing too much harm.

the rumor you most want to believe is the rumor you should be most skeptical of.

After all, there have never been loonies carrying signs saying, "The End is Not Near.

people view "tainted altruism" as worse than no altruism at all.

An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.

I believe everything out of the common. The only thing to distrust is the normal.