Skeptical Quotations

Technology is mostly a force for good, but it has its downsides, too. I want my students - and my readers - to be intelligently skeptical about technology and be informed about the good and the not-so-good parts.

In the early nineteenth century, with Enlightenment optimism soured by years of war and revolution, critics were skeptical of America's naive faith that it had reinvented politics.

While it is quite reasonable for scientists to be skeptical of new ideas that do not fit within the accepted realm of scientific knowledge, the best science often emerges from situations where results carefully obtained do not fit within the accepted paradigms.

I'm not an outgoing person. Compared to an average person, I am quite skeptical and pessimistic. This is different from being nervous.

Many small towns I know in Maine are as tight-knit and interdependent as those I associate with rural communities in India or China; with deep roots and old loyalties, skeptical of authority, they are proud and inflexibly territorial.

Both my parents were agnostic. My mother was kind of a Buddhist. She had some spiritual tendencies, but they were kind of flaky - New Agey, you know? Which is partly why I'm suspicious of that sort of thing. I'm skeptical of any spiritual practice that doesn't involve other people and doesn't involve some sort of consistent tradition.

Imagine if it happened to you: All of a sudden you find this thing on your wrist and people are telling you it has powers. I would be a little skeptical myself.

We made satires of everything - news broadcasts and TV shows that we watched. When I look at them now, they are totally amateurish, but I find it quite remarkable that we were so skeptical of the world! My parents watched them and thought they were funny; they really encouraged us.

I want students to understand specific technologies, but the real goal is that they should be able to reason about how systems work and be intelligently skeptical about technology so that, when they're running the world in a few years, they'll do a good job.

I think the legacy left behind by 'Battlestar' speaks for itself. I thought that these avid fans, most of whom were skeptical at first... to turn them into a fan of 'Caprica' as well is a daunting task, a big challenge.

I'm very skeptical about the good intentions of Milosevic.

When I heard the idea of a Slayer wine, I tasted the wines they suggested for us. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first before I tasted it, but once I tried it, I thought, 'You know what? This is actually really good. A really fruity and round type of flavor for a red wine.' It's very flavorful and tasted awesome!

In general, I think people should be skeptical of the Internet as a reference tool because so much of what's on it is unreliable and costumed - a hall of mirrors.

I agree with Chomsky in almost nothing. When it comes to innate structures and so on, I'm very skeptical

I have been skeptical and not trusting of traditional models of the entertainment industry. I never got a manager.

'The Skeptical Environmentalist' was much more the idea of the scientific argument of realizing that we need to be skeptical about a lot of these stories that we hear and to put them in context.

Because a truly skeptical position would be a very uncertain one.

I grew very skeptical of certain kind of Jewish separatism in my youth. I mean, I saw the Jewish community was always with each other; they didn't trust anybody outside. You'd bring someone home, and the first question was, 'Are they Jewish, are they not Jewish?'

Skeptical of strangers, lobstermen are keepers of secrets, working in the howling wind and hot sun, the icy snows, and bewildering fog. When I was growing up, the lore was that they had the right to shoot anyone who messed with their traps.

In post-Vietnam, post-Watergate America, skeptical voters demand full disclosure of everything from candidates' finances to their medical records, and spin-savvy accounts of backstage machinations dominate political coverage.

I'm a pretty skeptical person, and I'm a realistic person.

People are skeptical of many televangelists, and I'm sensitive to that.

It's hardly a secret that I'm skeptical of declarations that the aliens are out and about on our planet. Still, I try to answer every one of these mails and phone calls because, after all, it's not a violation of physics to travel from one star system to another.

We remain skeptical of Sears' ability to turn around its apparel business.

When we got started, my colleague, Brad Williamson, said that we ought to get schools involved. I was skeptical that school kids could contribute, but we designed something that teachers could use to help students contribute data.

What he did was to demonstrate to a very skeptical and rather sometimes indifferent profession ... that the history of black Americans was a legitimate field for scholarly inquiry and investigation.

We're fully aware that many Arab consumers remain skeptical about our products, so we plan to adjust certain parts of our marketing.

We were always skeptical about how fast consumer recovery (would) be. It had been pretty slow. This year, we've revised our growth forecast for the Korean economy to 5 percent based on strong fourth-quarter numbers that we saw, particularly in consumption. The export sector still looks positive." ()

Of all the things I’d been skeptical about, I didn’t feel skeptical about this: the wilderness had a clarity that included me.

Rule of thumb: Be skeptical of things you learned before you could read. E.g., religion.

We are highly skeptical that you can bring in 2006 systems and attach them to 1938 systems and make it all work, when so much has changed technologically.

When we see significant, dramatic changes ... we are skeptical as indeed we should be, ... bring together all of the facts we can marshal and the most sophisticated insights to explain those facts that we can.

Let's make this new experiment work, ... Let's give it more than eight weeks. Let's demonstrate to those who are skeptical that we can work together.

Sen. Rand Paul is a Different Kind of Republican. He will drag the party, kicking and screaming, toward a new kind of conservatism that appeals more to today's youth, who embrace liberty and are skeptical of foreign intervention.

Since taking office, the governor has broken a number of important promises. So while we're hopeful, we're naturally skeptical about what he says.

Only a tiny handful of slaves responded to the Confederate proposal. They viewed it as an act of desperation and were skeptical of the sincerity of promises of emancipation. The reaction of the slaves generally was 'Why would we fight for the Confederacy; it's not our country? They were very well informed through the grapevine.

Now that the world economy is on firmer footing, investors have grown skeptical that rapid growth can coexist with tame inflation.

Obviously, the No. 1 thing a quarterback wants is the confidence of his teammates. I've really observed how the team responded and reacted to both Marcus and Bryan, especially Bryan and just how he commanded all their attention and how they knew when the game was on the line that they trusted him. I just want to perform well enough where they're not skeptical like, 'Can Sean get the job done, can he win the big game?' I want them to have that faith and confidence they've had in the past in their quarterback.

People were skeptical at first and then I got mauled.

Political honeymoons have a way of ending with a vengeance. This poll reflects that. You don't expect Republicans to be skeptical of one of their own. They like his persona, but the poll shows cracks in the armor.

I was skeptical that the increase (in hurricane intensity) would be sufficient to observe by now ... (but) the increase has been much more than we would have guessed.

I was skeptical of their paper in 1997. But when they're extending life, you have to take it more seriously.

I was skeptical of that call, but the officials didn't cost us the game. It was a great game, and Florida made the plays it had to make.

I was skeptical heading into the Alabama because of the distance and the competition then she handled with ease. She's pretty easy to ride. She doesn't drop out the back and she could've been a little closer in the Alabama had I wanted, but I thought the pace being what it was that I would just tuck in. She presents no problem for a rider.

I was skeptical about my first race; I didn't have a very good preparation. It's a huge surprise. My shape wasn't so good because I was injured most of summer.

I would be very skeptical of any claim that any plaintiff did better than a class member.

I would be skeptical of any contention that 'cooperative conservation' is the only tool needed. I think they want to emphasize that and de-emphasize the regulations.

I guess I'm a little skeptical about the product side of this restructuring. Can they turn around the decline in market share with their new product?

I have been one of the guys who have been skeptical of global warming from the beginning. The jury is obviously still out on it. We see nothing but conflicting reports from across the globe. I'm not sure; I'm not a scientist.

I'd like to see guidance on 2006 that ties all this together. I'm still somewhat skeptical of the degree of cost savings.

I am enormously skeptical that the Serbs are ready to negotiate, or more importantly, the Serbs that we are talking about here are the Serbs of Belgrade. (Bosnian Serb leader Slobodan) Milosevic, we have not heard from because the administration refused to directly negotiate with the Bosnian Serbs.

I am extremely skeptical that we're looking at a peak oil perspective. We have tar sands, oil shale, advances in deep drilling. There's a lot out there,

I believe the assessment that if we pull out it will leave an unsettled situation that is bad for the neighborhood and bad for us. Therefore I'd be willing to stay longer if I believed what we're doing would lead to progress in six to 12 months. But I have not seen that evidence, so I'm skeptical that it will. . . . So it may be what we're pursuing, if not effective, then there's no point to it.

I am skeptical that we are going to see content that even comes close to harnessing the power of either box for the next several years. It's like using a 3.2 gigahertz PC or a 3.4 gigahertz PC for word processing -- it's not going to make much of a difference.

I am skeptical that this time will be different.

I am skeptical that their decision is a response to new information, as opposed to legal developments in the case.

I am skeptical that Gateway's going to be able to successfully boost its professional and direct sales moving forward, with or without Inouye at the helm.

Because of this and current management initiatives to reduce costs, we are skeptical about the prospect of a breakup bid for the group and recommend selling the shares.

I'm always a little skeptical before our first dual meet of the season because you never know what to expect. But I thought that, by and large, the girls swam well. We still have a few problems that we need to address, but all in all I was pleased with the effort.

I have been and continue to be skeptical that they have the right people in place to drive performance there.

Given his experience with mergers there is a lot of speculation that he will go in there and do a big deal, ... but we're a bit skeptical of that.

Given that third quarter was revised upward significantly, I am skeptical that growth was so low and I will wait until we have the final figures to judge.

Franchised new-car dealers are on the front lines, facing skeptical customers, when cars and trucks offered are not fresh, innovative and inexpensive.

I explained to the judge that the form I signed said I had 15 days to get my money back. She allowed me to file for another hearing. I have another court date for Oct. 20. But now, I'm kind of skeptical about riding up and down 79th Street. Any vehicle with rims is going to get pulled over.

I would think a sense of the absurd is more important for a political cartoonist, because that could define things like a sense of hypocrisy or a sense of the things one has to be skeptical about.

I think it is an excellent proposal, but I am skeptical that the proposal would be accepted by the Iranian government.

I think you have to be somewhat skeptical about the payroll number.

I was a little bit skeptical because this kid was only weeks removed from having his brain opened up. I asked his father, Earl, and he said the doctors were OK with it, and I double-checked with the doctors.

I think whenever you see what may be the seeds of a third party, you need to be very skeptical because there's not a very good track record for third parties.

I think it's pretty risky what they're doing. I'm a real fence sitter here -- I'm real skeptical you can run a low cost carrier using regional jets.

I think we're likely to enter into an era where the court is more skeptical and will strike down campaign finance rules.

I think even the most skeptical people about the productivity enhancements due to technology have been totally shocked by how it's played out in our economy.

People have been skeptical about me as big as I am. I think I'm starting to prove that I can play shortstop.

People keep trying to wring more uses out of the old form factors, the old PCs. I'm somewhat skeptical about their ability to really drive into new markets at this point, ... A lot of these ideas have been around for a long time. IBM had a tablet PC, the Word Pad, out several years ago with limited success, and a lot of people are working on better ways of connecting businesses and consumers to business. I think they've demonstrated some really strong uses, but they're more evolutionary than revolutionary, at this point.

States are doing this for two reasons. They want to be ethical institutions, and they want the skeptical public to view them as ethical institutions.

Some investors are becoming skeptical about the economic recovery. Investors are looking for positive surprises in the economic data and the machinery orders wasn't a surprise at all.

I think I've been skeptical of violent passion for a long time. I think 'Pinkerton' is about that a lot - seeing how, every time I've felt really passionate for someone, as soon as I 'acquire' them or feel like I've acquired them, the passion goes away.

I'm still skeptical whether we will see a hike from the ECB this year. The fact the ECB won't deliver on rate hikes this year will probably pull the euro back.

I'm still skeptical of the size of an individual download model, as (digital video recorder) technology is growing.

I'm skeptical that the tone of the conference call ... was anything other than an act of necessity on the company's part to keep investors around.

I'm skeptical that enterprise customers are as attractive as Wall Street assumes.

I'm skeptical that a lot of people will use them, and I'm even more skeptical that Congress is in a mood right now to pass anything that has a negative budget impact.

Most businesspeople are properly skeptical of government programs labeled 'streamlined,' ... I'm skeptical of the burden this is placing on some smaller businesses. I'm skeptical of government's efforts to force retailers to charge taxes for an incredible number of municipalities around the country.

Will we be a success? I don't know. Everybody is going to be skeptical and I don't get into that. As coach, you do one thing: You win games.

We're delighted that our largest Saudi customers have decided to lift the boycott. We expect the other large supermarkets in the rest of the Middle East to follow...However, we're fully aware that many Arab consumers remain skeptical about our products, so we plan to adjust certain parts of our marketing.

We have been very skeptical of guest worker programs.

We're very skeptical about that survey. There's no way people who are fond of drinking would speak positively about measures we have taken to crack down on drunk driving.

We have always been skeptical of their reverting back to their blue light roots in the stores and on the Web, ... Instead of emphasizing every-day low prices, it appears to emphasize one-time grab-bag bargains, which is not what the consumer wants right now.

We were skeptical about whether an established brand like PETCO would see any conversion lift from HACKER SAFE but were amazed that it delivered such a strong increase in our conversion rate. HACKER SAFE has proven to be a very worthwhile investment for our online business.

Tribulation will not hurt you, unless it does - what alas! It too often does - unless it hardens you and makes you sour and narrow and skeptical

The problem is the message, ... The message is confused and inconsistent. It posits a problem, but does not provide a convincing solution. Only if the problem and the solution are in balance can they hope to convince a skeptical public.

I'm having a hard time finding a date. I don't trust any women I meet. I'm very skeptical.

Always be skeptical about simplicity.

There are a lot of people who are skeptical and need convincing. What we want to know is what their updated growth targets will be.

We were very skeptical of the first published reports, and thought that the previous data were not sufficient to support this startling conclusion. But the thrilling new sound recordings provide clear and convincing evidence that the ivory-billed woodpecker is not extinct.

We don't want this argument to be obscured by those who would suggest that anyone who is for more and more government power is somehow on the side of the right, and those who are against it or are skeptical of such grants are on the side of the wrong. This is an important question of all Americans on the left, the right or in the middle.

We have been skeptical about this poll this year and throughout its history. That said, we are happy to be ahead, but we're going to continue running like we're 10 points behind.

We have been quite skeptical throughout January because data tend to be erratic around the holidays and the turn of the year.

We really didn't have the team I was expecting to have, ... I'm kind of skeptical about what's going to happen next year. This year we had problems getting healthy people. Next year is not going to be any easier. We're still getting older and older. It's not like we're getting younger. Hopefully guys learn from how their bodies react and try to take care of themselves.

We are skeptical on the quick rise in yields as nothing has fundamentally changed in the past few weeks. The bias is for yields to go downward.