Critical thinking is certainly useful in daily life. Real skepticism is part of critical thinking.
Not everything that purports to be skepticism is skepticism. Closed-minded rejection of any alternatives to conventional beliefs is not skepticism. Skepticism of conventional beliefs is part of skepticism.
Pseudo-skepticism may do people good, of course -- it, like any religion, leads to emotional and social reinforcement from those who share ones beliefs, for example. A sense of certainty about what is true and what is false without the questions raised by real skepticism (i.e., doubt) is emotionally very satisfying. Knowing that you are a member of an Elite fighting for Truth, Justice and the Skeptical way against the forces of People Who Believe Bad Things is very emotionally buoying.
I believe that inquiry about the universe is as worthwhile as any carpet. This is a fundamental value of something called science. Apparently, you don't understand science -- just practical engineering. Science believes that knowledge is useful for in its own right, it's not science without that value.
I believe that trying to understand about the world, especially something of such fundamental personal importance as whether or not we survive bodily death, makes for a richer, fuller life. I believe that that is true even if I consider that the methods used or the conclusions reached by the person in question are ones I disagree with.
If I really believed that you felt that nothing that isn't useful to you for purchasing a carpet is worthwhile then I would pity you. But I don't.  |