skeptimistic

The act of being both skeptical and optimistic about something

Although bungie jumping was something Frank had never tried before, he remained skeptimistic of the outcome

by Sky-man March 1, 2009

skepticism

how I feel when guys say they "just wanna be friends with Ashely"

Todd: yeah dude, that chick is cool, but we're not banging or anything
Me: *gives him the look (>.>) of skepticism*

by le-yane-bomb September 11, 2015

Healthy Skepticism

The proper way to treat people.

Hym "And further more....

Iam "Alright, alright. Calm down."

Hym "I DON'T ANSWER TO YOU!!"

Iam "....... Ok. Alright. Maybe we just maintain a certain level of healthy skepticism."

Hym *breathing heavily*

Iam "......... I'm just saying that maybe it's too soon to start panicking....."

Hym "........ We will regret this....."

Iam "I'm sure I will....."

by Hym Iam April 8, 2022

Selective Skepticism

That's how you reconcile it.

Hym "Selective skepticism regarding unfalsifiable claims. That's how you reconcile it. I answered my own question."

by Hym Iam February 24, 2024

Hard Problem of Skepticism

The self-devouring realization that consistent, radical skepticism leads to the paralysis of not being able to trust any knowledge, including the knowledge that skepticism is a valid approach. If you doubt everything, on what grounds do you justify the act of doubting? The hard problem is that skepticism is a powerful tool for clearing intellectual weeds, but it eventually turns on the garden it's supposed to protect, leaving no ground to stand on.

Example: "She was such a pure skeptic she doubted her own senses, memories, and the laws of physics. The hard problem of skepticism hit when she tried to explain her philosophy: to communicate, she had to assume language, logic, and my ability to understand—all things her skepticism supposedly rejected. She just sighed deeply."

by Abzugal January 30, 2026

Philosophy of Skepticism

A branch of philosophy that examines the nature, scope, and justification of skeptical arguments throughout history—from Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus to Descartes, Hume, and contemporary epistemology. It analyzes different forms of skepticism (global, local, methodological), the paradoxes of skeptical self‑refutation, and the responses to skepticism such as foundationalism, coherentism, and common‑sense philosophy. The philosophy of skepticism is not itself skeptical; it is the disciplined study of skepticism as a philosophical tradition and problem.

Example: “His work in the philosophy of skepticism traced how ancient Pyrrhonism differed from modern Cartesian doubt—one sought tranquility through suspension of judgment, the other used doubt as a tool for indubitable foundations.”

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 24, 2026

Sociology of Skepticism

A field that studies skepticism as a social phenomenon—how skeptical communities form, how they enforce orthodoxy, how they distinguish legitimate doubt from “pseudoskepticism,” and how skepticism can serve as a status marker or a tool for exclusion. It examines the social networks, conferences, publications, and online spaces where skepticism is practiced, revealing that skeptics are not isolated individuals but members of communities with their own rituals, heroes, and boundary‑policing mechanisms.

Example: “The sociology of skepticism revealed that online skeptic forums often replicate the same gatekeeping they accuse religious communities of—excommunicating heretics who question the group’s sacred texts, like peer‑reviewed consensus.”

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 24, 2026