Am I becoming a skeptic?

I'm getting older. As you know when we get older we tend to lose some of our beliefs when we're younger or we explore them even more so.

I used to have all sorts of really large ideas that are out there when I was younger. I believed that there were alternative universes, I believed that there was a way to travel through time. I believed it was possible to reach a stage of enlightenment. I believed that psychic powers were possible and that everyone had them. I didn't believe in God. I didn't think of the existence of God as compatible with my belief system.

Like about a year ago I questioned myself, wondering if my beliefs were worthwhile. I've been doing some reading. I've confirmed a lot of my ideas I had from when I was younger like the ones about alternative universes being possible, and enlightenment and ESP. It takes me a lot to be convinced that certain things are real now. I don't just blindly believe something I hear. I stopped believing in conspiracy theories and that our government was flawed until I read a book called Conspiracy Theories by Patrick Ramsey and a book by Ron Paul.

I used to not believe in God until I read a book about religions, which, explained in detail what they were. I realized that religions were an essential part of the human experience here on Earth. I realized that everyone needed one and that those without religion are probably not getting the kind of guidance that they should be getting on their life here.

I just can't do what I did before. I can't blindly believe something is true unless I see proof of it. When I saw proof for all of my ideas except for the nonexistence of a God I confirmed all of that I knew and now I'm taking these ideas further and I'm reading more about my ideas and finding out more about them.

Was I about to "grow up"? Am I becoming somewhat of a skeptic?

I'm not really sure what you are getting at exactly. You say you didn't believe in god - that would make you a skeptic.

The best thing I know to tell you is how knowledge is measured. Knowledge isn't measured based just on what you know. The true measure of knowledge is based on the questions you ask. As the questions you ask are based off existing knowledge, combined with the intelligence to take it to the next step.

I truly believe that if you seek, you will find it. While sometimes the answers don't come as quickly as we may like, they will eventually come. And sometimes you have to wait for specific answers until the time has come because there might be other things which need to be asked and answered first. EG: What happens after death. That answer will surely come, but it isn't time for it yet. Of course, we can still think of the logical possibilities.

I personally think some questions will never be answered here on earth. It just isn't possible. I see people say we are so much more advanced today than we were 2000 years ago. But are we really? We have more technology sure. But we are still faced with the same questions people like Socrates asked thousands of years ago.

Overall I find nothing wrong with being a skeptic. To be a skeptic you are asking the question - is this real/right/true. It's good IMO to be skeptical. What isn't good is when you go from skeptic to debunker. As debunkers aren't asking the question - is this real/right/true, but rather are trying to prove to those who ask that question their point of view is correct. Which is different than someone making logical points from where they have also asked the same question.

Originally posted by badmedia

The best thing I know to tell you is how knowledge is measured. Knowledge isn't measured based just on what you know. The true measure of knowledge is based on the questions you ask. As the questions you ask are based off existing knowledge, combined with the intelligence to take it to the next step.

I agree with that. But I would use the word "wisdom" rather than knowledge. Wisdom is measured by how much you realize that you dont "know." And as you point out, the more you learn, the more you realize how much more there is to learn.

So for the OP, I guess you are growing up and trading the illusion of being able to "know" with surety and certainty for the wisdom of realizing that the only thing we can be certain of is that there is always more to learn. Intelligence is acting on what you feel you know, with yours eyes and mind open and with willingness to change course as soon as you can see you have been mistaken.