Expressing Curiosity

Expressing curiosity or skepticism in most cases will result either in a reasonable counter argument or indifference. For instance, if someone states their belief that Advil is better than Tylenol, or fruit juice is more fattening than doughnuts, one can argue otherwise without incident. If, however, someone expresses belief in invisible fairies that watch over us in our daily activities, or that specific numbers are lucky for certain people at various times, any indication of doubt (no matter how respectful and polite) will often elicit outrage, accusations of close-mindedness and genuine hurt feelings. This extends into most religious, superstitious, spiritual and, to a lesser extent, political, discourse. In these realms, a belief system becomes a matter of personal insecurity and a trigger point for defensive posture, while in almost every other area of life an opposing view can be happily integrated.