Which Category do you fall into?

Originally posted by Chett
Its too simplistic - most people will fit every category at one time or another and on different issues.

I'm with you on this. For me, it depends on the topic. I would tend to fall into "fence-sitter" more often than not but I am a "believer" regarding sun/earth change issues. Not a blind believer, but a believer none the less.

I mostly just like to collect information - of all types- and reserve judgment until a moment of crisis or a crucial matter arises then I look to the facts first, run it through my own filter of information and then to my own intuition to make a determination.

But there's mostly just a whole lot of stuff I still wonder about...

reply to post by SonoftheSun


I'd say I'm a skeptic, and have been since I came on here, as it hasn't been that long.

However, I don't think your definitions of the levels are accurate. By most definitions, I wouldn't define myself as a skeptic; in fact, I think skepticism can be negative.

I think skepticism can too much influence our opinions, and instead we should keep a more open mind. I'd rather define myself as a thinker, investigator, or questioner.

Also, believer is someone who believes in something by most definitions. Just because someone believes in a conspiracy (for example; the Federal Reserve), does not mean they have had personal experience, nor does it mean they do not fall under the skeptical category. I believe there is conclusive evidence for many theories.

The majority of people in the world (western, at least) are naysayers. I'd guess most people on ATS are either on the wall or a skeptic; definitely good for having a discussion.

Fence sitting being described as "wishy washy" has such a negative connotation to it. I like to think of it as a place to sit without judgement until all the facts or research help you to determine whether or not you believe or refute the evidence. Its a neutral place, not wishy washy, for me at least ..

i aproach most issues from way above the fence, then depending on my own experience an evaluation on the matter i will fall on either side of the spectrum, avoiding to fall on the far end of both.
and sometimes i just grab a bag of popcorn and watch the issue safely sitting on the fence.

in general i have an open mind and tend to avoid extremism

I tend to be the believer, as I let my own experience guide what I understand to be.

That often leads me to be skeptical, but with an open mind as some of my own experiences have been rather wild and things that just are not supposed to happen, so I know weird things do.

The nay-sayer and the blind-believer are as nutty as each other so they should sit next to each other, or put the categories in a loop so they can meet.

I'm a believer but I'm also very sceptical about a lot of stuff, so I think they should sit together too. Dear me, there are fuzzy lines between them all.

I am a believer but highly skeptical

But ATS has seen a surge in BS of late.

i sit on fence then after sometime jump in skeptical's park

I am a blind believer in some areas(such as jfk) but for the most part sit on the fence. It's not uncommon for me to change my mind or flip-flop while reading through a thread many times. Often times I will leave thread more confused than when I went in.

Alot of good points are usually raised here on ATS and the more time I spend here, the easier it is to recgonize crap when I see it. Although, I did find myself being roped into a thread the other day that turned out to be a hoaxer. Live and learn.

peace

reply to post by SonoftheSun


A mix of believer and skeptic. I have had personal experiences which contradict both the materialist and the New Age/Eastern mystical views. But I am also skeptical of many things, like the Illuminati, resident aliens, and almost anything posted by Unity_99. Also I'm skeptical of Nibiru, Elenin, Alternate energy, Law of Attraction, and so forth.

Definitely a fence-sitter that verges towards skeptical, simply because I need to see proof of something with my own eyes until I'm a believer. Doesn't matter what the topic, conspiracy or not, it's just the way I roll.

Only time I become a naysayer is when someone posts a video up for the millionth time that's obviously a plane/star/balloon whatever.

I generally fall into the believer or "on the fence" category. Sometimes I fall into the skeptical category.

It seems to me that most people would fall into the "on the fence" category a good deal but lean either towards believer or skeptical most of the time.

I'm less like a type and more like a wave because I go through all those PHASES all the time back and forth, back and forth. Can't be pinned down to any one particular area though i tend to get weak at the extremes.

reply to post by LetsChangetheWorld


Well, LetsChangetheWorld !!

However, I don't think your definitions of the levels are accurate.

And I totally agree with you !

I've re-read the OP a few times and there are major flaws. I see that the definitions contain a bit of my biases as it was originally written for the Aliens/UFO Board where I spend a lot if not most of my time on ATS. Having it put in general was a mistake. Depending on which Board one surfs or participates alters the category. Absolutely.

In the Aliens/UFO Board I'd be a Skeptical Believer.

In the Chemtrails Board I'd be a Skeptical Borderline Naysayer.

In the 2012 Board I'd be a Skeptical yet watching what pops up.

In the Predictions Board, I'd be a Naysaying Naysayer for sure.

So, the OP is inaccurate. But I enjoy reading the replies and hope others do as well. Live and Learn.

All in good Fun.

I'll try and do better next time.

Originally posted by Starwise
Fence sitting being described as "wishy washy" has such a negative connotation to it. I like to think of it as a place to sit without judgement until all the facts or research help you to determine whether or not you believe or refute the evidence. Its a neutral place, not wishy washy, for me at least ..

No youve got me wrong i didnt mean it like that, it wasnt meant to offensive, it was just the description that fence sitters change their opinions with their emotional feelings that day, i just dont think fence sitting is like that, if im a fence sitter then it means on some issues i am a constant cynic, on other things (ufos) a believer, i dont change beliefs due to the mood im in on a partiular day, thats all i meant.

I think this is too vague.

Some conspiracies or issues I'm a firm believer, others I don't believe at all, whislt others I'm on the fence.

Without a specific issue or topic, I'm going to go for the 'none of the above' or N/a.

Sorry.

I'm a "believer" because of a few paranormal experiences I've had without rational explanation. I post in these forums as if I'm sitting on the fence. Even if I don't believe something, I'll still sometimes go with it just for fun. Though I'm very skeptical of peoples' claims. Its not that I'm totally skeptical about everything, its just that I see a lot of stupid crap coming from people that can easily be dismissed.

I sit on the fence, and not just because I aimlessly wandered off to wikipedia and google reading about the origins of Humpty Dumpty (honestly, that's the most I got from your thread). I'm partial to both sides of the argument, as someone who has deep opinion in truth and what is, I remain open minded to certain possibilities, that said they must be logical. I don't take anything blindly, but I don't deny it blindly either. I make sure to look through all the channels of information that I will be allowed and formulate an honest unbiased opinion based on the facts.

I fall into the believer catagory
I base this on personal experences
I dont believe everything I hear but I know the truth is out there..Keep looking my friends... Keep looking .

reply to post by SonoftheSun


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a1a7b040cc9d.jpg[/atsimg]

That's me. Personal experiences that's not worth the bashing of today. But, i still seek...