Why do skeptics feel the need to put people down who believe in the paranormal?

Question

Why cant skeptics respect another person's oppinion without insulting them? After all scientists can neither prove or disprove some aspects of the paranormal - what makes the skeptic so arrogant?

Answer 1

because its a fact of life. people are entitled to their own opinions.  how or when they choose to express them may not always be the best time and place however.  people like sharing their opinions.  its like racism, or sexism, or all that other stuff.  not on the same level obviously but its the same general concept.  there is no proof that one race is better than another in every way, but people still say it....

Answer 2

Skeptics have invested a large part of themselves in debunking paranormal events. For them it is personal, not scientific. For scientific inquiry, yes is equally possible as no as an outcome. For the skeptic, the only answer possible is no. By their definition everyone who claims to have experience a paranormal event must be insane.

In reality, no one who was not present at the event can tell any observer what he has seen.

Still, most humans tend not to believe anything they have not seen. I had some country cousins who argued with me about the existence of mountains even though I lived near the Rockies at that time. Go figure.

Answer 3

This is a tatic (fallacy) used in logic called adhominem

1. Appealing to a person's feelings or prejudices rather than

    his intellect.

2. Marked by an attack on an opponent's character rather

    than by an answer to his contentions.

( Webster's 9th New Collegiate Dictionary)

Watch the personal attacks and bad ratings begin.

Michael John Weaver, M.S.

Answer 4

I honestly do not know why they behave so rudely. they behave as if every paranormal question is an insult to them and they feel the need to lash out.

They talk a big game on how smart they are but they can not seem to even follow the guidelines to this site. As it states in the rules of do's and don'ts, the below information was copied and pasted from the yahoo team blog.

Our Community Guideline reads:

Be courteous. Yahoo! Answers is a diverse community of people with diverse opinions. It is up to each of us to be polite and treat each other with respect.

Diversity is a very important part of community. It’s important to remember that Answerers come in all shapes and sizes, from many different backgrounds and viewpoints. In a community this diverse, it may be difficult to tell when personal opinions are appropriate and helpful.

When reading a question, consider who the Asker expects to answer their question:

Does the topic in question conflict with your personal beliefs? If so, you might want to refrain from answering if you can’t keep your objections to the topic to yourself. Remember, the asker is looking for an answer, not a fight.

Is the Asker seeking unique and differing opinions, or a factual answer? If they’re asking for advice it might be best to refrain from answering with just an opinion.

Lack of courtesy can also happen when asking questions. Consider how your question will sound to Answerers before you post it.

Does your question sound like it targets a certain group’s beliefs or opinions? Does it use words or phrases that you would find offensive if said about your beliefs or opinions? If so, you might want to rephrase it or ask a different question.

Are you genuinely looking for an answer to your question, or are you provoking a debate? If you really do want to hear other’s opinions, ask for them – and treat your Answerers with respect.

Dissenting opinions can be very valuable to the community, as long as we all remember to be respectful and courteous.

Mario A.

Answer 5

let them see a ghost they'll soon change their minds.

arrogants comes from a combination of lack of any real proof and simple ego

Answer 6

Skeptics have derided or ignored many pioneers of science and technology at the time of their greatest discoveries. It is only later that they have become elevated to the status of heroes.When Alexander Graham Bell Invented the telephone he also made a remarkable leap of imagination. He correctly foresaw how people would use his invention; that they would speak on the phone instead of writing a letter.Thomas Edison was researching an incandescent electric lamp with a high-resistance filament, they described it as "A completely idiotic idea.", you can read about dozens of cases of inventors who were ignored or even publicly ridiculed by their contemporaries, but whose inventions are today central to the modern world.  Some areas of scientific research are so sensitive and so jealously guarded by conventional science that anyone who dares to dabble in them -- or even  to debate them in public -- is likely to bring down condemnation from the scientific establishment on their head, and risk being derided, ridiculed or even called insane.

Cold Fusion ,Psychokinesis , Bioenergy ,Darwinism  (The forbidden subject)Flame-Proof , Remote Viewing, Ether Drift

just to name a few,'Skeptic' is a word that can be found in frequent use  by individuals who think of themselves as scientific rationalists(like the first answerer)whose stated mission is to spread real scientific knowledge and to defeat superstition and ignorance.It has come to mean the adoption of an attitude of scorn and derision towards any kind of anomalous data that contradicts current scientific beliefs, and the adoption of an air of condescension and superiority towards those who venture to investigate,ask or write about anomalous phenomena.In these circumstances,  it is not the Principle of Tenacity that is being invoked, it is blind, unreasoning prejudice masquerading as scientific rationalism.And the 'skeptics' who censor and ridicule in the name of science, whether they know it or not, are the agents not of knowledge but of pseudoscience.Science does not need vigilantes to guard its gates. Science has been successful because good science drives out bad and because an ounce of experiment is worth any amount of scientific authority.

Answer 7

I love the hypocrisy here. Gypsy asks why skeptics put down the paranormalists, and the paranormalists respond by putting down the skeptics!  Whoops.

Answer 8

You are welcome to your opinion.  But what they forgot to tell you in school is that when your opinion contradicts observable facts, it isn't worth c**p.  We can't prove the paranormal exists because no one has ever demonstrated it (no matter how many times they've claimed they could) and we can't prove it doesn't exist because that's a logical impossibility.

Answer 9

They can't stand the fact that people are willing to have an open mind and live by their beliefs, not science.  The same can be said for atheists.. They LOVE picking on Christians, saying they believe in fairy tales, they're delusional, they're gullible, they're fanatics...  Just because they're willing to believe in a Higher Power.  

There's no way to change the mind of a skeptic... You just have to hope they have a paranormal experience so they can find out what it's like to be poked fun at for what they KNOW is real.

Answer 10

Cause' they're a bunch of narrow minded squares!