significant quote an interesting glimpse into rice's pov regarding critical thinking scholars are trained to scrutinize to insist on adequate evidence to ferret out logical inconsistencies and weak arguments we are naturally suspicious of claims that go beyond our experience scholars are trained skeptics our professional motto is 'show me' where's your evidence if you can't prove it you shouldn't believe it if trust is the natural disposition of childhood doubt is our disposition as adults academic training cultivates an ethic of suspicion if not unbelief we've learned to put every aspect of life through the fire of critical reflection but the fact we don't know everything doesn't mean we don't know anything richard rice ph d spectrum v pp excellent qualities all scientific skeptics should possess