As I was approached to write for this blog, my first reaction was, “Who, me?” After all, I am very new to the world of skepticism and I consider most of my skeptic friends to be much more skilled & disciplined at thinking critically than I am.

But then I realized that many times people are afraid to think critically, to let go of their sacred cows, because they are afraid of the answers that will bring. They are afraid not only that it will turn everything they had held so dear on its head, but that it will alienate them from their communities who often share their point of view. Quite often, they are afraid that their lives will cease to have meaning.

From a young age, everyone around me knew that I marched to the beat of a different drummer.  I resisted labels as I found them limiting. I never truly felt part of any group to which I belonged. This caused me some anxiety early on, but I learned to embrace my individuality as I learned more about the world around me through the application of reason, science and free inquiry.

I hope that in my contributions to this blog I can help those who are looking to think more critically in their lives but feel they may not be well-equipped to do so. I hope that I can help these people realize that there is an amazing sense of freedom, a deeper self-confidence and a richness in experience that come from learning to apply critical thinking in all facets of life. No matter how much formal education you have or how quickly you form new ideas, you are capable of applying some level of critical thinking in some facet of your life.