by Bill Lauritzen
+90 | Fanatic | Unjustified enthusiasm. Zealot. Sometimes willing to die so that a principle, model, theory, dogma may live. |
+60 | Gullible Believer | Blindly buys, swallows, and trusts despite evidence to the contrary. Looks for minor similarities between theory and reality as evidence in favor of the theory; naive. |
+30 | Cautious Believer | Looks for major similarities between theory and reality as evidence in favor of the theory. |
0 | Pragmatist | Realist; realizes that no theory/model can be perfect. Accepts those that work (or parts of those that work) in aiding survival. Discards what doesn’t work. |
-30 | Healthy Skeptic | Looks for major differences between theory and reality as evidence against the theory. |
-60 | Nitpicker | Doubter; looks for minor differences between theory and reality as evidence against the theory. Seldom buys, swallows, or trusts despite evidence to do so; suspicious |
-90 | Cynic | Suspicious, scoffer; nihilist; believes in nothing; lives in order to prove others wrong, but may commit suicide as there is no “reason” to live. |