The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake

by Steven Novella

Skeptics combine knowledge of science, philosophy, human psychology, and all the flaws and biases of human thinking to evaluate all claims and beliefs, especially their own.

There are those who think, with good reason, that humanity is stepping back from the Enlightenment to huddle in echo chambers of comfortable, or at least familiar, beliefs.

A scientific skeptic provisionally accepts a claim only in proportion to its support from valid logic and a fair and thorough assessment of available evidence. A skeptic also studies the pitfalls of human reason and the mechanisms of deception so as to avoid being deceived by others or themselves. Skepticism values method over any particular conclusion.

Essence of being a skeptic

The term “skeptic” has also been hijacked by deniers who want to be viewed as genuine skeptics (asking the hard and uncomfortable questions) but are really just pursuing an agenda of denial for ideological reasons.

Memories are constructed from imperfect perceptions filtered through our beliefs and biases, and then over time they morph and merge.