Calibrating Your Skepticism

A quick-reference checklist for staying in the healthy zone:

• Match skepticism to the claim — bigger claims need bigger evidence
• Trust but verify — start with good faith, then check the evidence
• Apply it symmetrically — question claims you like as hard as claims you dislike
• Tolerate uncertainty — "I don't know yet" is a perfectly valid answer
• Name your exit — decide upfront what would change your mind

Healthy skepticism is not a personality trait. It is a daily practice — and the most useful thinking tool you will ever build.