Skeptics

[Sickman 205]

I was chatting with my father on the phone after a long time of no contact, and we ended up talking about raising kids and the burden of responsibility that comes with it.
I was fortunate enough to be born to parents who never tried to indoctrinate me into any ideologies or religions.
My mother and father made the conscious decision to bring my sister and I up to think independently and to question *everything* we're told, and to this day, I'm extremely grateful to them for this.

So, I guess my question boils down to this;
Are there any other skeptics out there?
I don't even necessarily mean just skeptics, but independent thinkers in general.
 

Edited July 16, 2013 by Sickman

[Shanks 10,811]

It is healthy to have some degree of skepticism about certain things as we can never truly be absolutely certain of everything though I think people can sometimes be overly skeptical as almost a cop out. Moral relativism is a good example of this as it just seems to boil down to "right and wrong is too complicated so I can going to flip over the board and claim that everything is relative." Of course it is not always simple, but the best we can do is to make some educated guesses, sometimes we get it wrong but that is how we learn. I have changed my political views from a populist liberal to a populist libertarian because I gained a skepticism of the effectiveness of big government due to being exposed to new information that revealed that the policies I advocated weren't the best ones that best fit with the core values I hold dear. This is not to say I am now right on everything as I am still evolving as I learn new information but I believe I am closer to the truth than I was before.

[Sylentmana 271]

I question a lot of things I was raised to believe as fact.  Just doing this has caused my father and grandparents to declare that my soul is bound for hell.  Healthy skepticism is a good thing to have.  Just don't overdo it.  Those kinds of people can be a real pain.

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

This post has been redacted by the author.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Blue

[Harmonic Revelations 8,833]

I'm very skeptical, I don't subscribe myself to any religion, and philosophy is something for me that is ever shifting as my ways of thinking change. I tend to question everything around me, if that's what you're referring to.

[Chain Combo 135]

Am I Skeptic? I am indeed I used to go to church when I was younger, but I stopped after a while because I wasn't sure if I believed what I was hearing. However I do feel that sometimes even though your skeptic about something, you still want it to be true in some way shape or form. The afterlife for example I want some form of afterlife but I realize that's only because I'm afraid of losing consciousness.  

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

I'm definitely a skeptic even though I was raised a catholic, but to be honest we were more like protestants. I have my 'relapse' moments where I kind of wish there was some higher being out there but in the end I remember that its just ridiculous and carry on with my life.

 

My belief is that I just don't know what will happen or why it happens and I'm perfectly happy this way. I let science dictate my beliefs mostly though.

[Discordian 6,013]

I live life under the creed that I will defy convention where it suits me. Yes, this ultimately means that I do things under no set rule or guideline but when it's most convenient for me to do so and I see nothing wrong with that. I'd rather shape myself on my own terms, with my own logic, then follow a pattern simply because it's a pattern or logical path. I don't lie to myself and tell myself I should like this or like that because I liked something else that's similar.

 

I'm the type who believes there are no definitive rules for anything, it's always defined by the people around you and this is proven by the fact that in spite of what the law says a group of people will let the breaking of a law pass because they believe it's for the better good or even just if it's not something worth getting worked up about. Piracy is largely one of these situations where in spite of laws there will always be multiple groups with their own reasons for pirating or not pirating.

 

Even if it makes some people hate me I'll do what I feel because I know how I feel better than anyone else. "Because I can" is a perfectly legit excuse. Mind you there is sometimes consequences for actions, that's a given, but most things people fret over having consequences like people finding out they are a brony have such insignificant consequences it's not worth getting up in a tizzy about in the first place. In most cases people finding out someone is a brony will not change their life in any significant way.

 

I guess this could fall under the "free thinkers" group you're thinking of but it's something more easily demonstrated than explained and that comes with time interacting with others.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Discordian