Technically, why not think differently about skeptics in general?
Letâs seeâŚ
If you check the etymology of the word âskepticâ, you will find that it doesnât have to be a negative meaning at all:
skeptic (n.)
also sceptic, 1580s, âmember of an ancient Greek school that doubted the possibility of real knowledge,â from French sceptique and directly from Latin scepticus âthe sect of the Skeptics,â from Greek skeptikos (plural Skeptikoi âthe Skeptics, followers of Pyrrhoâ), noun use of adjective meaning âinquiring, reflective.â This is related to skeptesthai âto reflect, look, viewâ (from a metathesized form of PIE root *spek- âto observeâ). The name was taken by the disciples of Greek philosopher Pyrrho, who lived c. 360-c. 270 B.C.E.
The extended sense of âone with a doubting attitude, one who suspends judgment and holds that the known facts do not warrant a conclusionâ is recorded by 1610s. It is attested by 1630s as âone who doubts or disbelieves the Christian religion,â short of absolutely denying it. The sk- spelling is an early 17c. Greek revival and is preferred in U.S.
Skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found. [Miguel de Unamuno, âEssays and Soliloquies,â 1924]
The adjective in the sense of âskepticalâ is attested from 1570s. As a verb, scepticize (1690s) failed to catch on.
skeptical | Etymology of skeptical by etymonline
This is the important part:
âSkeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found.â
That means we should celebrate a skeptical mind, because with that mindset, we actually start to investigate.
A bit like a childâs mind, right? You question, question, question. My nephew, he asks me âwhyâ? And I answer. And he asks again âWhyâ? And he keeps going until he is satisfied with an answer
So its a constant push to learn more about the world. A curious mind.
Do we then even wanna convince someone of fields?
No, because they arenât true skeptics. They donât wanna go out and research what this is about, they prefer to be in a fixed mindset. That is not a curious mind.
So, the best I suppose you can do is, help them with fields if they need it. Let the magic unfold in that way. Everybody has a free will.