The High Cost of Skepticism: Why Openness is the New Intelligence

I’m blessed to have two wickedly smart kids. But lately, I’ve noticed a few skeptical remarks being tossed around with an air of intellectual pride—a trait I’m going to go ahead and attribute to their father’s side of the family.

But it got me thinking: why do we often equate skepticism with being smart?

Skepticism is praised in our culture as a sign of discernment. The skeptic is seen as sharp, rational, immune to deception. But what if skepticism isn’t the wisdom we think it is? What if it’s actually blocking the very growth and insight we desire?

Here Are 5 Reasons Why Openness, Not Skepticism, is the True Mark of Intelligence:

1. Skepticism Shuts Down Possibility
The skeptic assumes what can’t be true. But the most intelligent minds remain open to what might be. History is full of ideas once thought to be “impossible” by skeptics—only to become not only possible but revolutionary. Real intelligence knows that curiosity, not certainty, is how we create progress.

2. It Masks Fear, Not Logic
Many skeptics aren’t being logical, they’re being protective. Doubting becomes a defense mechanism to avoid vulnerability or risk. But growth requires the willingness to not know. True intelligence includes emotional intelligence and the ability to sit with uncertainty and stay open anyway.

3. It Dampens Intuition and Inner Knowing
Skepticism believes only what can be proven, but many of life’s truths are often felt, not measured. Intuitive insight, heart resonance, and lived experience are valid forms of knowing. Wise minds use both logic and inner truth.

4. It Undermines Collaboration and Visionary Thinking                                                              In groups, skepticism can create resistance or even division. It is energetically heavy and often vibrates with judgment, sarcasm, and superiority. It can dampen the energy of co-creation and make it harder for others to speak freely or dream bigger.  Openness and belief, on the other hand, can expand and uplift.

5. It’s Often a Cover for Pain
Many skeptics have been hurt, disillusioned, or betrayed. Rather than heal, they guard against being “duped” again by doubting everything. The problem is, they block the possibility AND the lesson.

In Times of Rapid Change, It’s Not the Skeptics Who Thrive… It’s the Curious. 

Openness allows us to adapt, grow, and receive insight that skepticism would shut down.Because at the end of the day, real intelligence isn’t about dismissing what you don’t understand. It’s about staying open enough to discover all that’s possible.  So could you let my boys know? ; )

In harmony,
~Delphine

Watch my short Coaching Segment on Skepticism