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"My uncle once lied about that fish he says he caught. Clearly the man has no morals and should never be trusted." Everything anyone says should be treated wit

"My uncle once lied about that fish he says he caught. Clearly the man has no morals and should never be trusted." Everything anyone says should be treated with a critical eye and a healthy dose of skepticism. Nobody who's ever achieved anything significant has done it without making mistakes. The problem is when you throw up your hands and declare the New York Times to be on the same level as the National Enquirer. Statistics are important here. A source that's reliable 99 times out of 100 is more trustworthy than one that's reliable 1 in 100 times.

nunyabuizness 10y ago
I'd argue intensity is as, if not more, important than just "statistics." A source that tells one lie that starts a war is much worse IMO than one that tells 99 lies about celebrity pets.
- Retra 10y ago
  That's just a different statistic -- one measuring severity of impact, rather than unreliability.
r00fus 10y ago
Our kids are not being taught that skepticism is a good thing. I say this as a skeptic who tries to undo the damage our society has done in the constant wash of advertising and school "everyone wins" nonsense. I praise my kids a lot, but I do it for meaningful things (or steps towards) that they do and for exhibiting the principles that will strengthen them as adults. I urge my kids to practice skepticism to question the nature of things and people.
- astrodust 9y ago
  That's why as a responsible parent you should slip in a few harmless false truths into their diet to see if they can pick them out. It's also educational to play games where two or three people tell a different version of the "truth" and you have to guess which one is actually right. Schools are sadly suffering a deficit of critical thinking. The American ones in particular do not reward it at all, if anything it's punished. You must answer according to the textbook or you lose marks. Such is a test-driven education system.

nunyabuizness 10y ago

I'd argue intensity is as, if not more, important than just "statistics." A source that tells one lie that starts a war is much worse IMO than one that tells 99 lies about celebrity pets.

Retra 10y ago
That's just a different statistic -- one measuring severity of impact, rather than unreliability.

r00fus 10y ago

Our kids are not being taught that skepticism is a good thing. I say this as a skeptic who tries to undo the damage our society has done in the constant wash of advertising and school "everyone wins" nonsense. I praise my kids a lot, but I do it for meaningful things (or steps towards) that they do and for exhibiting the principles that will strengthen them as adults. I urge my kids to practice skepticism to question the nature of things and people.

astrodust 9y ago
That's why as a responsible parent you should slip in a few harmless false truths into their diet to see if they can pick them out. It's also educational to play games where two or three people tell a different version of the "truth" and you have to guess which one is actually right. Schools are sadly suffering a deficit of critical thinking. The American ones in particular do not reward it at all, if anything it's punished. You must answer according to the textbook or you lose marks. Such is a test-driven education system.