Mystical Skepticism

Idea XCIV (94) - The Book of Good Ideas

"Being a skeptic can give way to the most wonderful surprises. Don't you want a reality that is beyond belief?"

There are some people out there who would say that skepticism is bad, or harmful to progress, or is simply a dead way of looking at the world. And sure, if one refuses to look outside of their own box, or, better yet refuses to acknowledge they have a box whatsoever, then one might end up with a sort of deadened or blunted response to all stimulus, whether it is novel or not. However, healthy skepticism can give way to the most wonderful surprises. When taken to one extreme, skepticism claims that it knows everything, and throws away anything even related to some-thing that the skeptic deems impossible. At the other extreme, too little skepticism gives rise to a sort of ignorant, wishy-washy creature who is easily taken away by any wind that blows, believing every-thing. The consolidated difference is that one is by way of trusting everything, and one is by way of trusting nothing. Nothing anyway, outside of the scope of the determined range of credibility (which, in and of itself is based upon the belief of the individual). The real goldilocks zone of this model is to be found within a healthy dose of skepticism. Skepticism is actually necessary for mystique to be present in an experience. In order to be surprised, you must have some expectations, or current conception(s) of the nature of the immediate past, present, and future. Relativity, or the difference between experiences is what allows for surprise at all. Thus having a general working understanding that does not accept all, but is open to adaptation and possibilities beyond it's reconciling is what provides for the ability to have unexpected and potentially delightful change. Holding beliefs as a skeptic, or rather, being honest that you have beliefs despite the attempt to use skepticism as the end all be all, is what gives way to the most wonderful of surprises. What is this for? Well, don't you want a reality that is beyond belief? Then there must be a belief for reality to be beyond.