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Skeptic-Fanatic Scale

by Bill Lauritzen

Where do you think you fall on the scale? Where do others think you fall?

+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.