Robert LAMAR ~ SkepTricks

Thanks to Nielsen Magic for permission to use the above image.

Becoming a critical thinker is not all that difficult. The first thing that is required is to become like a five year old. Huh? Think about it for a moment. What is the one quality that a five year old possesses that sometimes drives parents around the bend? It's their unrelenting ability to ask questions. They are not afraid to ask questions and they query their parents about everything and anything under the sun. To them, the world is magical. There is so much they don't understand about the world around them - and sometimes beyond - that they become very inquisitive. They want to know. And they ask. And they are not afraid to ask. Unfortunately, teens through adults sometimes lose this trait. We get to an age where we feel if we have to ask a question that we may appear to be dumb or stupid amongst our peers. This is sad. On the contrary, asking questions shows that we have an interest, an inquisitive mind. When it comes to fleshing out the truth behind a supernatural, paranormal or pseudoscientific claim it is very important that we ask questions of the claimant. We should not take on faith what we are told about anything, especially an extraordinary claim. You should ask and require proof of such claims. Marcello Truzzi (September 6, 1935 - February 2, 2003), a professor of sociology and founding co-chairman of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), was fond of saying:

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof."

The burden of proof lies with the claimant. Since they are making the extraordinary claim, it is up to them to prove that claim; it is not your responsibility to prove that the claim is false. In fact, you cannot prove a negative, but more about that later.

So, ask questions - ask probing questions to get to the truth. But is that enough? Well, reading and studying as much as you can about a certain topic will grow your knowledge about said topic. The more you know the better off you are. When studying a topic you should look at material from both sides: from the claimant's side and from the skeptical side. This will help you to gain a better understanding of what exactly the proponents of a particular claim believe and what their arguments are that support their belief.

Reading, studying and being inquisitive, is that it? No! Not at all! It is true that, by themselves, these tools will serve you very well in your quest for uncovering the truth. These are important tools that every skeptic should have within their tool belt, however, there is one more tool that would greatly benefit all skeptics. And that tool is...