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Does skepticism make you smarter?

EGarrett

Illuminator
E
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Messages
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Obviously, the natural response is "no" because nearly all of us have humility and want to stress that skeptics don't think they're better than non-skeptics.

But the more I think about it...my worldview is a LOT more mature, I come to better and more efficient conclusions, and I discuss things a LOT more rationally than I did before I was a skeptic (or critical thinker I guess).

So, after the kneejerk no, I've concluded that yes...it has made me smarter. Has it made you smarter?

It's obvious from the discussions here that the non-skeptics who come here don't fair well (at all) in arguing anything. I don't think they're dumb, but it's clear that they're not nearly as versed in logic, reason, efficient thinking and all those other things we usually lump under "smartness." So perhaps...maybe...being skeptic does effectively up your IQ?

(and btw, I've been on high IQ forums and there's a lot more BS there than there is here. This is the most intelligent board I've seen on the internet.)
 
Before I really was a critical thinker I'd flip-flop a lot and, just, well, not think critically. I make better and more informed decisions now and no longer take things at face value. If there is something I don't understand (and it's in my best interest to understand it) I do a little research. So I can say with some confidence that I am a better functioning person.

I'm not sure if smarter is the right word to use, though.
 
I've certainly learned to express myself more clearly and only after careful consideration. Much less "I wish I hadn't said that". Although this in no way makes me smarter it may present that image to others.
 
Alareth said:
Thinking is a natural response to intelligence. Thinking also tends to lead to skepticism.
Click to expand...

If only that were true. CTists do a lot of thinking. In fact, they overthink, and come to convoluted conclusions.

You can think without thinking critically.
 
WW2dude said:
Before I really was a critical thinker I'd flip-flop a lot and, just, well, not think critically. I make better and more informed decisions now and no longer take things at face value. If there is something I don't understand (and it's in my best interest to understand it) I do a little research. So I can say with some confidence that I am a better functioning person.

I'm not sure if smarter is the right word to use, though.
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How about "more rigorous" or "not lazy"? I think a lot of people just want to have an answer to their questions, and latch onto the first thing that feels right. Most skeptics will do as above, and question that first thing more rigorously, so as to confirm or refute it.

Smart Vs. Stupid is pretty much fixed, but you can always learn a new behaviour, which is what I think skepticism is. It may be easier for a smart person to do, but even a stupid person can do it, so long as they don't delude themselves that they're smarter than they are.

It's like fitness. I know I'll never run a marathon in Olympic times, but with effort I could run farther/faster than I can now.
 
I agree that "smarter" isn't the right word. I mean, my math certainly hasn't improved! I was never a real believer, more of a fence-sitter. But since I've decided to go full on skeptic I do feel more informed, less gullible and just generally more reality based. I can't help that little bit of a superiority complex creeping in though when speaking with a particularly deluded person. But they probably are thinking the same way about me.

Everyone thinks they're way is the right way. That's a huge reason why I decided to be skeptical. Because if everyone thinks they're right, then who really is?
 
It does make you smarter. Used to be I couldn't even spell skeptic. Now I are one!
 
I don't know if skepticism has made me smarter. It's certainly made me taller.
 
Not necessarily smarter, but I do make far fewer mistakes. To some, that's a sign of intelligence.
 
Alareth said:
Thinking is a natural response to intelligence. Thinking also tends to lead to skepticism.
Click to expand...
You should see some of the woo that comes out of groups like MENSA. Intelligence does not necessarily lead to skepticism.
 
Intelligence is only one small part of skepticism. You also

- Not to accept over simplistic explanations, eg 'god did it.'

- Attempt to verify your opinions.

- Be prepared to change your mind if the evidence (which you have not rejected out of hand because it does not support you point of view) does not support your opinions.

- Know the difference between good and bad arguments.

- Know several other skeptics.

Plus a few other things.
 
David St.Hubbins: "Such a fine line between stupid and--"
Derek Smalls: "And clever."

I don't think critical thinking ability makes you more intelligent per se (or improve your math skills, your ability to understand theoretical physics, etc.) but I think it does allow to make better use of the intelligence you have. For example, it allows you to avoid fallacious statements like this one:
"If we're elitist," a [Mensa] national chairman once commented, "then we're the most democratic elitist organization that ever existed!"
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Erm, hardly. Mensa does not set an objective standard for membership but a relative one, namely that prospective members get "a score on a standardised IQ test higher than that of 98 per cent of the general population." Thus, by definition, 98% of the population are excluded from membership in Mensa, regardless of the overall level of intelligence in the population. Even in some hypothetical future world in which the average person is as smart as Richard Feynman or Carl Sagan, Mensa would not accept them because they weren't in the top two percent. How is an organization which by definition limits itself to 2% of the population "democratic"?
 
If by skepticism you mean "critical thinking" then I would say it is not about "it" making you smarter but about helping you think in logical and rational and coherent manner. And if you can learn to do that then I think you do benefit.

I often use the example of advertising and how learning to think a bit more critically can help you examine and crucially understand exactly what is being claimed and that helps you to make better informed decisions.

But does it make you smarter? I'd say not.
 
Euromutt said:
I don't think critical thinking ability makes you more intelligent per se (or improve your math skills, your ability to understand theoretical physics, etc.) but I think it does allow to make better use of the intelligence you have.
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That's a great way to put it. It's much easier to understand the world and come to useful conclusions once you've learned critical thinking skills.

For example, it allows you to avoid fallacious statements like this one:Erm, hardly. Mensa does not set an objective standard for membership but a relative one, namely that prospective members get "a score on a standardised IQ test higher than that of 98 per cent of the general population." Thus, by definition, 98% of the population are excluded from membership in Mensa, regardless of the overall level of intelligence in the population. Even in some hypothetical future world in which the average person is as smart as Richard Feynman or Carl Sagan, Mensa would not accept them because they weren't in the top two percent. How is an organization which by definition limits itself to 2% of the population "democratic"?
Click to expand...
Brief comment on that. Mensa is a necessary organization (a lot of people in that bracket have social problems), but I do hang out on their boards from time to time and the conversation level isn't as high as it is on the JREF boards. A troll would have better luck arguing on the Mensa boards than here. It's clear from talking to them though that they don't have logic and critical thinking skills in common (like people here do) and thus a lot of them aren't using their intelligence very effectively.
 
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