don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

"You can't ignore the importance of a good digestion. The joy of life...depends on a sound stomach, whereas a bad digestion inclines one to skepticism, incredulity, breeds black fancies and thoughts of death." Joseph Conrad, Under Western Eyes, 1911

Skepticism sometimes gets a bad rap. Is it really an outlook properly associated with grumpiness resulting from bad digestion? Is it on a par with incredulity, black fancies and thoughts of death? (What are black fancies, anyway?) It would seem so -- the American Heritage Dictionary defines it as "One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions."

I have a different take on what it means to be a "skeptic" or "skeptical," a view more in line with my Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, selectively interpreted: "Thoughtful...the doctrine that true knowledge in a particular area is doubtful, a method of suspended judgment, doubt concerning basic religious principles as immortality, providence and revelation." If this is skepticism, color me skeptical; if this is incredulity, a breeding ground for black fancies and thoughts of death, add those shades to my portfolio, as well. All sound quite attractive and essential to the examined life and purposeful quest for meaning, not to mention good digestion.

Some people mistakenly believe that a skeptical outlook (I prefer the term "bemused skepticism" because it conveys the sense of being stress-free and light spirited about one's skepticism) means rejection of all new ideas or an attitude we might associate with a cynical, grumpy curmudgeon. It is more accurate to view skepticism as no more or no less than a provisional approach to claims. A skeptic prefers to rely on his/her own reason rather than the sacred cows and holy truths of others. Another way to think of the differences is to consider skepticism a method for thinking, not a position on believing. A skeptic is open-minded; claims are neither automatically accepted nor rejected. Instead, the skeptic looks for compelling evidence.

Are you a skeptic? What are your alternatives? A few alternatives are true believer, gullible or faith-based. I'm sure there are others but these three are clearly not oriented to skepticism, as described above. The people of Missouri evidently consider themselves to be skeptics -- they are, after all, residents of the "show me" state. I, myself, enjoy a fantastic tale or claim as much as the next person, but my bemused response is always, "That's nice. What is the evidence for the tale or claim? Can you prove it, or at least be persuasive that there might be something to what you propose?"

It is hard to be well if you are NOT skeptical. If you lack this quality, you will be an easy mark for charlatans and you might buy all kinds of junk you don't need (think "wonder drugs" and bogus food supplements.) In addition, you might ignore the extraordinary evidentiary data that supports the key principles of self-management for lifestyle artistry. A skeptic will soon realize that such a lifestyle is an attractive and reliable pathway to optimal states of physical and emotional well-being.

While it might be nice to think that the mindset associated with skepticism is another offshoot of the wellness movement, the fact is that this method of disciplined thinking dates to the ancient Greeks, and probably before that. Socrates once famously observed, "All I know is that I know nothing." Of course he did not mean that literally -- the remark simply signaled a need to be willing to learn more about everything.

Skepticism is a part of the scientific method, which entails collecting data and testing possible explanations of an explanatory nature leading to provisional conclusions. Another quality of science is that everything is provisional and subject to challenge, thus a skeptical outlook is an essential method for the advance of knowledge.

You are skeptical enough to be well if you have enough of a tendency toward bemused (or other) skepticism to "navigate the treacherous straits between know nothing rejection of all claims and the anything goes credulity of the true believer." (Source: Skeptic Magazine.) The French philosopher and skeptic, Rene Descartes, is most often cited for his line, "Cogito ergo sum -- I think therefore I am." Some evolutionary biologists and freethinkers suggest that our adaptations over time reinforced skepticism by rewarding pattern-seeking, which led us to be "cause-inferring animals, predisposed to find meaningful relationships in the world." This is a hopeful view. It assumes that those who were best at doing so over the millennia left behind the most offspring. We are their descendants. In other words, to be human is to think. We must protect and advance our humanity by practicing artful and bemused skepticism, in my opinion.

What do YOU think?

Enjoy, be well, be positively skeptical and always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of effective decisions. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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