I dunno. I like educating myself and knowing what’s up on a variety of subjects. On Free Republic, we kind of pride ourselves on being able to discern truth from fantasy. At least, that’s how I see it (except on a few topics that have gotten me banned in the past.). Otherwise, let’s get all sides on this forum and have a good debate!
The natural disposition is always to believe. It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity, and they very seldom teach it enough. The wisest and most cautious of us all frequently gives credit to stories which he himself is afterwards both ashamed and astonished that he could possibly think of believing.I consider FR to be nonpareil as a place for people who do not wish to be cynical, but who know that what Smith called “incredulity” - skepticism - is in short supply. We come to FR to pool our “incredulity” - about any topic and also about cynicism regarding any topic.The man whom we believe is necessarily, in the things concerning which we believe him, our leader and director, and we look up to him with a certain degree of esteem and respect. But as from admiring other people we come to wish to be admired ourselves; so from being led and directed by other people we learn to wish to become ourselves leaders and directors. . . .
The desire of being believed, the desire of persuading, of leading and directing other people, seems to be one of the strongest of all our natural desires. —Â Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)