Pseudoskepticism, little green men, and spam for breakfast
Posted on Apr 19th, 2009
by
Michael
I'm one of those people who thinks anything s/he writes should be at the top of the page. Everybody's page. All the time. But some of my blogs are good, and here is one:
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I love Gaia. And I know that I signed up for getting occassional email promoting products. But it sort of mifs me when dis-arming techniques are used on me. For instance, this one with pseudo skepticism:
Then I read, "I was skeptical about a practice that claimed to help with everything --" and boy, this got right by me -- now all I have to do is quit expecting everything and gosh, these things, everything else I can imagine, must be possible!
Officially, the word pseudoskeptic means something more related to scientific study, where UFO people often try to say, "You can't prove they don't exist." which is a bogus argument. I heard one UFOologist say, "I know people used pseudo-skepticism to make false arguments, but then I realized I had a closed mind." Harken to that little wormy idea: even if I'm aware of pseudoskepticism, I've a closed mind if I don't open it to little green men. (That's more like rehetoric, which is more advanced mind-numbing methods, but which will have to await another day for one of my terrific expose blogs!) Anyway, as I was saying, the word pseudoskeptic officially means something else, in science, but for me in real life, it means when people pretend to be skeptical, trying to get the audience to identify with them, and then laying out a line of crap. I know it's a line of crap, because it wouldn't need pretend to be skeptical, pseudoskeptic, if it was good, and real. It would just present it's case. For me, it is false jumping of ethical behavior to become false just because of all the products that lie like hell. "Use our toothpaste and you'll live a fresh, enlightened life!" I'm sorry, it's just not true, and no, going to a conference will not cure your asthma. But if you go, please please please take you asthma inhaler with you. Better yet, call and make them gaurantee you won't need to bring it. I doubt they will be pseudo-skeptical then, and I bet you'll see their skepticism is about their abiliity to heal asthma. and less about their doubt of their presentor's claim. Though they won't want to say it that way that nails them one way or another, work on 'em! They started it!
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I love Gaia. And I know that I signed up for getting occassional email promoting products. But it sort of mifs me when dis-arming techniques are used on me. For instance, this one with pseudo skepticism:
Beautiful people of Gaia!
We've got an extra-special invitation this week. Or I think so, at least. :) I've been curious about EFT since I first heard about it few years ago from a friend who'd used the tapping technique to overcome her asthma. She was giddy about her experience, but I was skeptical about a practice that claimed to help with everything—from weight loss to shyness to debt reduction. So I'd put off exploring it more.
Gosh. She really didn't believe, curious, sure, who would want to think of themselves as not curious? Sucked right in with that, I was; "Hey, I am curious too!"
Then I read, "I was skeptical about a practice that claimed to help with everything --" and boy, this got right by me -- now all I have to do is quit expecting everything and gosh, these things, everything else I can imagine, must be possible!
"So I'd put off exploring it more."But wait! That's a mistake I would be making, to put off exploring (and isn't "exploring" the biggest best word for an open mind?) . . . to put off exploring something that I had rejected when I was expecting too much? "Hey! I should look into this!"
Officially, the word pseudoskeptic means something more related to scientific study, where UFO people often try to say, "You can't prove they don't exist." which is a bogus argument. I heard one UFOologist say, "I know people used pseudo-skepticism to make false arguments, but then I realized I had a closed mind." Harken to that little wormy idea: even if I'm aware of pseudoskepticism, I've a closed mind if I don't open it to little green men. (That's more like rehetoric, which is more advanced mind-numbing methods, but which will have to await another day for one of my terrific expose blogs!) Anyway, as I was saying, the word pseudoskeptic officially means something else, in science, but for me in real life, it means when people pretend to be skeptical, trying to get the audience to identify with them, and then laying out a line of crap. I know it's a line of crap, because it wouldn't need pretend to be skeptical, pseudoskeptic, if it was good, and real. It would just present it's case. For me, it is false jumping of ethical behavior to become false just because of all the products that lie like hell. "Use our toothpaste and you'll live a fresh, enlightened life!" I'm sorry, it's just not true, and no, going to a conference will not cure your asthma. But if you go, please please please take you asthma inhaler with you. Better yet, call and make them gaurantee you won't need to bring it. I doubt they will be pseudo-skeptical then, and I bet you'll see their skepticism is about their abiliity to heal asthma. and less about their doubt of their presentor's claim. Though they won't want to say it that way that nails them one way or another, work on 'em! They started it!
Tagged with: pseudo, skeptic, pseudoskeptic, pseudo-skeptic, pseudo-skepticism, lies, and other, horrible deciepts!

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hehehehe :D
Thank you Elise.
heheheheheheheh
Repeating something I said to you over at yuz place,
Hey! Wait! Youz iz the foist odder uzer of “heheheheheh” I'z seen in a while! Congrats on soph.comm. ! ack!
PS oh wait, I just got a totally coolerester idea ever and I'm about to blog it right … now