Traumatic Dissonance

There has been a ponderance at the back of my mind for some time now. Orchestrating the words to form it into a question is difficult. I feel the need to. Does composing some finite string of symbols to contain a problem somehow make that problem easier to face? To comprehend? When we string together …

Testimony and Skepticism

In my experience, I often encounter people being discounted because of the stories they tell. Such things as Bigfoot, alien abduction, or divine revelations are met immediately with a shroud of disbelief. But why? Is it that we have looked into these claims at some point in the past and did not find sufficient evidence …

Questioning the Rhetorical Question

One need not be a scholar be familiar with rhetorical questions. We see them portrayed often enough in the media and pop culture as questions which the questioner did not want answered. This interpretation is extremely simplified. Those more in-the-know will tell you that a rhetorical question is one that is asked for effect rather …

What Questions might be Avoided

If you have read any of my posts, you will recognize my sign off, "question everything." This post is meant as both a caveat and an attempt to run that sign off through a line of inquiry. What do I mean by question everything? Basically, I mean to have an inquisitive mind and method of …

Skepticism, Metacognition, and Procrastination in Composition

The relationship between skepticism (method of doubt) and metacognition (the questioning of one's own beliefs/thinking about how you think) is a seemingly close one. To question one's own beliefs and thought processes implies that there is the possibility of falsehood present and inquires at the nature of justification. To compose ethically (that is, with certain …

Sinister Skeptic: A Brief Inquiry into Identity

While planning and speaking about this blog to friends, I was warned that I should be prepared for the inevitability of an assault on my site by Social Justice Warriors because of my handle. Specifically, the word Skeptic is met with harsh criticism according to my colleagues. Surely, I thought, sinister will attract more attention …