They hold strong convictions, and they think that those who disagree with them are idiots or fools. They are quick to doubt the claims of others, but they rarely, if ever, question their own beliefs. I think that we should be wary of these attitudes. Some humanists and skeptics probably find my exaltation of self-doubt troubling. My answer is simple.
Science is about doubt.
Science is about asking questions. Science is about tentative solutions which are later revised by further empirical findings. As Jacob Bronowski pointed out, certainty is a hallmark of irrationality. A reasoned doubt is a hallmark of true knowledge. Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible.