Healthy skepticism vs dysfunctional doubt

There is a crucial distinction between healthy skepticism and dysfunctional doubt.

Healthy skepticism is a cornerstone of critical thinking. It involves:

• Questioning claims and asking for evidence.
• Being open to changing one's mind in the face of new information.
• Evaluating information from a variety of sources.
• A willingness to engage in reasoned debate and discussion.

Dysfunctional doubt, on the other hand, is a reflexive and automatic mistrust of any information that comes from "mainstream" sources, such as governments, scientific institutions, or established media outlets. It is characterized by:

• A refusal to accept any evidence that contradicts a preconceived narrative.
• A tendency to see conspiracies and hidden agendas everywhere.
• A closed-mindedness to alternative viewpoints.
• A deep-seated and often unshakable conviction that one is in possession of a special truth that others are too blind or brainwashed to see.

While healthy skepticism is a vital tool for navigating a complex world, dysfunctional doubt is a cognitive prison that can lead individuals down the The Funnel of Misbelief.

Tags: #skepticism #doubt #critical-thinking #misbelief #cognition