Question everything… even the things you know are true and correct. Because sometimes, you’ll be wrong.
We moved into our new home about 11 weeks ago. From the get go, we had trouble with our TV provider. They failed to install the fiber optic cable from the VRAD to our house. Once that was taken care of, we had internet, phone, and a billion channels (almost none of which have anything interesting on them).
Then the Troubles began. Not to compare to the atrocities that occurred in Great Britain, but this was serious. People in my house had trouble watching TV. Yeah, yeah, first world problems.
The picture would freeze. Sometimes the show would resume. Sometimes the box would reset. Sometimes it would just die. The boxes were getting stunningly hot. We even managed to destroy one.
Yes, I said boxes. In two months, we’ve had five set-top boxes, 2 gateways, and a new optical connection outside the house. One tech found some misspliced wires and assured us that would fix the problems. Four hours after he left, the box froze.
The next tech replaced the entire outside box after he tried to reset it and it died. The big blinking red “FAIL” light was a clue. We got that replaced.
During this time, we had the electrical lines checked. I replaced the ethernet cables. I put the boxes on a $40 surge protector. I knew that the electrical system was not the problem. Five techs agreed with me. I bet you can see where this is going.
We were all wrong.
I removed the brand new, top-of-the-line, surge protector and put in an old power strip I found in the garage. So far, the TV has worked fine. No stuttering, no fails, and the box is cool to the touch.
A tech is coming out tomorrow to install a voltage regulator on the electrical socket. Our electrician just tested the ethernet lines, not the power outlets. These new homes are built with such cheap equipment than the voltage coming out of the socket may be more than the devices can handle, even with a ‘surge protector’ and a power brick.
Always, always, always check your own assumptions.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote ““When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Another point to make about all this is that everyone is wrong sometimes. It’s OK to be wrong. Especially when it’s a situation (like this) that has minimal consequences.
It’s a chance to remember that we’re all fallible and that everything should be questioned. Just because everyone agrees with you doesn’t mean you’re right.
And when everyone disagrees with you, then it’s time to seriously reexamine your ideas. You may be right and everyone else may be wrong (Charles Darwin for example), but if you don’t sit down and really think about everything, then, right or wrong, you’re just being a fundamentalist. Belief without evidence.
This example, I hope, reminds everyone that skepticism isn’t a single decision point. It’s not even pouring over reams of data to determine a conclusion.
Skepticism, in my mind, is a lifestyle. It’s like buying a motorcycle. Work with me here.
You don’t just buy a motorcycle and go riding off into the sunset. You buy a motorcycle, then you learn to ride and take a safety course, then you buy the gear (bluetooth ready helmet, armor jacket with airflow, small toolkit for emergency repairs, etc). You don’t just hop on the bike and go. It’s a process. You gear up. You prep the bike. You secure any materials you want to bring with you. Then you fire it up, let it warm up, then you go.
Yes, some people don’t do all this. And they are morons. My dad did all this stuff and it’s the only reason he’s still alive. Ok, both collar bones have been broken, his middle finger on his right hand doesn’t straighten out because of the metal pin holding it together, and he’s only got one testicle. And that’s all WITH the protection that I’ve described above.
Owning a motorcycle isn’t a purchase like a blender. It’s a lifestyle. Riding bikes allows certain things and disallows other things. It’s a big decision.
Skepticism is the same way. It’s a lifestyle choice. We choose to be skeptical. The normal human condition doesn’t appear to be one of skepticism. Indeed, I think the human condition emphasizes credulity and faith and belief, not evidence and logic.
When we choose to be skeptical, we are taking on an incredible burden (much like our biker). We have to fight uphill for each little bit of ground. We are waging a war with
… bows and arrows against the lightening. They haven’t seen the heat ray yet.
Skepticism is hard. It requires a great deal of thought, knowledge, and self-reflection (one thing that humans are notoriously poor at). It requires constantly being on our toes. Watching what we say and how we say it. It requires that we be able to admit to being wrong (something else that humans are notoriously poor at).
And being wrong is OK. It’s an opportunity to learn. Just like my story with the TV. I learned, again, what skepticism really is. I was wrong. My assumptions were wrong. And, you know, I’m OK with that.
The important point wasn’t that I was right or wrong, but that the problem was solved. I know people who will go down with the ship, fighting with their last breath to convince you the ship isn’t sinking (a large number of our political leaders fall into this category). But if the ship is sinking, no amount of rhetoric, semantic arguments, or playing with numbers will fix it.
It’s better for everyone to admit to being wrong, apologize, and get on with fixing the actual problem.
P.S. the first person to identify the quote above (not the Sherlock Holmes one) wins two internets.
