Skepticism

The dictionary defines skeptic as a person who habitually doubts, questions or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.
Since "skepticism" or "skeptic" is a tough words to type, I will represent it by S.
I find that modern education makes everyone a S by default. Because of our insistence on proof for every iota of thing that we want to believe or do. It is good to be S about something new - but for a while. The skepticism should be a quality that lets you explore more of what you are "skeptical about". However, what I find is most people get stuck there. And this quality, which should actually bring about change and value in your life, becomes the very thing that prevents you from growing.
If one is skeptical about everything in life at 20 it is alright. At 30 too, it is ok. At 40 and 50 if you are still there, to me it just means you have wasted 10, 20 years of your life doing nothing. Because standing where you are, there is a limit on what you can see... one has to keep moving to see more, like seeing things from a train on the move. If you insist on remaining in the railway station only, the chances are you will just get used to that dirty place and its cacophony. Worse, you will misunderstand this for life and get used to it and later on in old age, even be proud of it!
When I am S about something, say work or new idea or a new person, I am saying that I dont believe if this person/ idea/ work is really any good. However, in most cases, my predisposition is to believe anything negative about it, but not the positive. To believe the negative I need no proof. But if it is something positive, I demand all the proof - and some more. I believe this is a very very stupid attitude. A skeptical person should be hesitant about making a positive or negative conclusion about anything. He cannot afford to be selective.
Our negativity comes from an instinctive watching out for the negatives, as it is a survival mechanism. But the modern day media takes it too far. You have newscasters belching out negative, horribly depressing news on you all the time, 24x7. And we guys go and gulp up their puke as if it is nothing less than "amrit" or the heavenly nectar. If someone watches TV four hours a day, my hope on that person is very less - this person will only believe negative stuff about anything. Dont take my word, just check - what is the kind of enlightening things you see on tv on a day to day basis.
And since you have "looked" at the idea/ person/ work, you will have an air of an expert - without knowing anything. The highly skeptical person talks like an expert - you will have to see through him to know his words are empty. He will be a real "armchair expert"; sitting in his chair, not moving an inch, and delivering judgements on the world. Again, these judgements usually are how bad this or that is. It is seldom that a so called skeptical person "approves" anything.
The fun thing is the above description fits most of us, in some area of life or the other, to say the least. Skeptic is not that rare person whom you meet once in a lifetime. It is the person who is reflected in the mirror when you stand in front of it.
My way to handle it is the "moving corridor" policy. I keep moving ahead on the area I am S about. I explore more, and as I move forward, new avenues open to me. I realise, OMG, this is so different from what I used to think. Or this person is far better than what he looks initially. But to reach this place, I need to move, explore and be willing to learn.