Michael Shermer speaks with the energy and passion of an evangelist, so it's not too surprising to learn that he used to be one. What is surprising is that he has made a 180-degree turn in his approach to belief. As a college student at Pepperdine University, he knocked on doors to spread the word of the gospel to anyone who would listen. Now he preaches the power of skepticism in the true sense of the word.
Like a war hero who becomes an anti-war activist, this turnaround is both curious and inspiring. His story underscores the complexity of the concept of belief and our need to hold on to some form of validation.
Shermer is the publisher of Skeptic Magazine. He is quick to point out that what many people think of as skepticism is really cynicism. Being skeptical has nothing to do with being a grumpy curmudgeon who discounts any idea that disrupts his world view. It is less a position and more an approach using science and reason.
Skeptics are open to looking into anything and everything, but are reluctant to latch on to theories without sufficient evidence to back them up. Skeptics don't sit around trashing the ideas of others--that would be a waste of thinking time. Instead, they luxuriate in the opportunity to further explore interesting notions.
The motto of the Skeptics Society and Skeptic Magazine is a statement made by the 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza: "I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them."
This is a fabulous approach to life, even though it may require more patience than most of us can muster. If we can't count on any absolute truths and we don't want to get bogged down by the muddy thinking of relativism, we've got to do our best to establish what Shermer calls "provisional" truths. He uses the word "provisional" a lot to refer to those pretty good truths and almost universal ideas we tend to think of as fairly consistent. Is infanticide bad? Yes, almost always. There could be, in some cultures and in some specific circumstances, ethical reasons to justify infanticide, but we recognize that those are few and far between. Provisional ethics allows for continued discussion and exploration in a way that a black and white view never will.
Shermer was in town recently to talk about the third book in his trilogy on the power of belief: The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share, Care and Follow the Golden Rule. He offered compelling theories and groundbreaking scientific results regarding the evolution of human ethics. Thanks to magnetic resonance imaging, we can now see what's going on in the brain while we perform certain tasks. It turns out that the pleasure centers of our brain "light up" when we engage in activities that are cooperative- sharing, being generous, helping others. Just as though we were eating our favorite comfort foods, getting a massage, or making love, our brains register this activity as highly pleasurable. There is (some) reason to believe that cooperation has evolved as a highly prized survival skill, and thus we are "rewarded" by feeling good about it.
Engaging in competitive activities--trying to beat a rival, striving to gain control--shows up in an entirely different area of the brain. Of course, this is also a very important survival skill, but it tends to come with its own tangible rewards--more food, more wealth, the mate of your choice, etc.
I'm still waiting for research on highly competitive individuals. Do their brains light up in the pleasure zone when they win? Is there some sort of shift that happens? What about sociopaths? Do their pleasure centers flare when they lie, cheat, steal, or harm someone?
There's just no end to thinking when you view the world with a healthy dose of skepticism. Socrates observed that the only thing he knew for sure is that he knew nothing. Sticklers are all too happy to point out that this, in fact, suggests that he knows that nothing exists, knows that he knows this, knows that he knows that he knows this, ad nauseum. By the same token, if you are skeptical about everything, you must be skeptical of your own skepticism! Just when you think you've got something figured out, it's time to be skeptical again.
This isn't the mainstream approach to thinking. We tend to like having ideas we can hang on to. We choose a couple of stable concepts, tie up a hammock and swing there contentedly.
That's one way to live.
Another way is to hang that hammock on a couple of sturdy ideas, sway there a bit, and then go off and find another place to swing. It's a lot more work, but you cover a lot more territory in the process. Your intellectual journey may be arduous but infinitely rewarding.
Because there are limitations in scientific investigation and plenty of mysteries remaining, the Skeptics keep in mind the words of Albert Einstein: "All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike--and yet it is the most precious thing we have."
Einstein believed in the power of the unknown and reveled in the right to figure things out as best we can. He valued imagination over knowledge, but persisted in searching for evidence that what we dream can be described and reported scientifically.
Skeptics are cautious believers. They hope for magnificence, they dream of infinite truths and they doggedly pursue their right to be wrong. They are forever moving their hammocks and testing untried trees.
And they are downright evangelical about it.
About The Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 80 countries. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com today!
Have you ever experienced a traumatic event? I'm sure the... Read More
Enlightenment, which is as varied as each individual's fingerprint, is... Read More
When King David was old and well advanced in years?... Read More
An interesting question arose within a poetry workshop I attended... Read More
To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More
Hiking is gaining popularity within the African-American community. We're beginning... Read More
The words 'new age' and 'spirituality' can have people running... Read More
When my dad was nearing the end of his life... Read More
Meeting someone so attractive, so beautiful. Your heart beats like... Read More
You will become as great as your dominant aspiration...If you... Read More
In Corrogue I am finding it's a wonderful life.Let me... Read More
Baptism and christening ceremonies are an important event that signifies... Read More
We make sense of our world via the senses. The... Read More
Malice is a great enemy to mankind. It is evil... Read More
The Angelic realms have been very active throughout the human... Read More
You are a spiritual being. You recognize something in you... Read More
I was in the bank's vault. The Brink's armored truck... Read More
One important factor in how we go through life is... Read More
Water of Enlightenment, Angel of Peace and Harmony for Nature... Read More
I believe in a phenomenon I have been known to... Read More
For the last 35 years, I have been working with... Read More
John Eldredge writes in his book Waking the Dead, "God... Read More
The atmosphere surrounding the earth is still a matter of... Read More
Lonely Song"a box of paints - lament for my da"It... Read More
Qohelet had grown old with time when he delivered his... Read More
My mentor, a brilliant Ph.D, with a powerful marriage counseling... Read More
Presently, many of us live in uncertainty. Due to the... Read More
Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise.... Read More
Tea-totalling Texans? Them's fightin' words!I live in a small Texas... Read More
... Read More
Make no mistake about it, change is challenging whether it... Read More
Most of us have heard talk or have read something... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
The normal Aquarian preoccupation with rational science is clearly seen... Read More
On one side there is a dark cloud. It is... Read More
Now, I will recount in full what happened to me... Read More
A magnificent source of life insurance and it's FREE. You... Read More
In a recent article entitled "Some Evidence of How We... Read More
The fastest way to raise your frequency is to do... Read More
Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More
... Read More
Now, we all know that we shouldn't be lead by... Read More
I want to tell you a love story. It's actually... Read More
During moments of helplessness, there is always one thing that... Read More
Feeling restless? Is part of you calling out for change,... Read More
"I resolve to speak ill of no man?and proper occasions... Read More
When I was a child, I thought as a child,... Read More
Almost every spiritual and religious teaching exhorts its followers to... Read More
The word "gravity" is a word coined by Sir Isaac... Read More
The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More
Many look outside of themselves for an experience of the... Read More
We humans are a funny, funny breed. We spend our... Read More
How many Christian people do you know who are bearing... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
Does God care if I marry a gentile?Even as I... Read More
If you have a longing to connect with something higher,... Read More
It would be nice if the planet - like so... Read More
I seemed to have lost my heart. Now this is... Read More
Attract and hold your family at home with some unique... Read More
Angels are making their presence felt everywhere. Once I started... Read More
To understand the nature of esoteric and occult secrets it... Read More
You are a Creative Worker:God carries on creative work through... Read More
Most of us are familiar with the inner criticism and... Read More
The Key to True Love...Do you long for love?Most of... Read More
Dreams take us not into ourselves, but out of ourselves.... Read More
It is no doubt that so many of you are... Read More
Spirituality |