I really enjoyed this article by Daniel Loxton on the efforts, both current and historical, of many in the skeptic community to tone down the confrontational aspects of skepticism. Too many of us treat skepticism as a way to ego-boost. Instead of trying to instruct, they try to make themselves the winner of the debate, and show everyone how much smarter they are then the other guy. Maybe this works to make them feel superior, but it never actually wins arguments, it just makes the other side more entrenched.
The issue with skepticism is that we're really arguing against ignorance. It's hard to be tolerant of ignorance, especially the willful ignorance of many true believers out there. Most of the time, it's best to either not get involved, or to make sure and reply unemotionally. As the article points out, it is all too easy for skeptics to go too far, and wind up saying things that are either unsupported or flat-out wrong.
In debates, our duty must be to the truth. Not to winning the debate, and not to making ourselves feel better. The truth is what matters, and the skeptics should be able to see that the clearest of all.
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