Being a skeptic means separating what’s likely to be true from what’s likely not to be true by using some kind of process of evaluating logic, evaluating evidence, trying to step back and look at your own thought process – that’s what we call meta cognition, thinking about your own thought processes. So but I do frequently encounter people who think that just being a contrarian and just disbelieving everything makes you a skeptic, and it’s not that easy. Just blanket disbelieving everything any authority tells you is not critical thinking. Steven: Yeah it’s, it’s cynicism really, it’s not skepticism. ![]() I’m watching and listening to people who are questioning everything? So from your perspective, what is going on there in a person’s mind who thinks that okay, I am being skeptical. So I do think that it does distract from the legitimate job of being a watch dog on the powers that be.ĭavid: Well a lot of people who I think watch those shows, they think of themselves as being– Like they believe that they are critical thinkers and that those shows make them critical thinkers. And if anything, you’re in fact providing cover if there is anything nefarious going on. Weaving bizarre conspiracy theories is not the way to go about doing it. But I do say that – if you’re interest is being a watch dog on government to prevent government access or corporate access or whatever. Obviously they are not deliberately engaged in any kind of deliberate deception or misdirection to discredit conspiracy theorists and conspiracy theory, so that we don’t notice the real things. Are they some sort of an operation to keep us from the real, real, real truth? ![]() Steven: Are you asking if the conspiracy theorists are like a false flag operation?ĭavid: Right. What they would like to know – from your area of expertise are Glenn Beck, Jesse Ventura, and Alex Jones involved in some sort of a conspiracy to protect us from learning that the reptilians used thermite paint to take down the twin towers on 9/11? Okay, Steven Novella, I think a lot of people would – since you are an expert on conspiracy thinking and conspiracy theories, conspiracy theorists. He blogs at Neurologica, Skepticblog, and Science-Based Medicine.ĭavid: I can’t think of any brain I would rather pick on the subject of why we succumb to conspiracy theories, and the one in Steven’s head. Steven Novella is a leader in the skeptic community, host of The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, and an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine. This is the interview with Steven Novella from episode 016 of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast.ĭownload – iTunes – Stitcher – RSS – Soundcloud
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |