(2020-08-23 1:48)little wolf Wrote: I agree; everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. For those few that I have told about my therianthropy, I don't ask or need them to believe in it, but I do want them to respect that it's an important part of my identity that's very real to me. I think the key is to be respectful no matter your opinion on what others believe. In fact; I think it's essential.
This is a VERY important point to me. Skepticism, while definitely valuable, mustn't take the form of dismissal or negativity imo. This is a two way street. Someone (Party A) who has an explanation of their experiences that another (Party B) is skeptical of certainly should be okay with party B's skepticism, but skepticism isn't a free pass for party B to neglect the fact that party A's account is
equally valid.
This place is extremely valuable as a safe space for people who need to express things that would otherwise be met with oftentimes certain dismissal. Despite that we should feel okay with being skeptical, it is my opinion that
we should also remember that the beliefs that we're skeptical about are just as valid as our skepticism is.
I feel that this is an important distinction to emphasize.
edit: To put it more simply, I just mean to say that I believe that speaking out on skepticism involves accepting the responsibility to be thoughtful and careful about presenting that skepticism to the same extent that the original claims should be.