Robert Todd Carroll



Robert Todd Carroll (born 1945 – August 25, 2016) was an American writer and academic. He was the Philosophy Department chairman at Sacramento City College, and the author of several books, skeptical essays, and the online Skeptic's Dictionary.

Quotes

 * My beliefs are clearly that of a hardened skeptic […] I use the term "occult" to refer to any of all of these subjects. The reader is forewarned that The Skeptics Dictionary does not try to present a balanced account of occult subjects. If anything, this book is a Davidian counterbalance to the Goliath of occult literature. I hope that an occasional missile hits its mark…
 * The Skeptic's Dictionary (book), pp. 1-3


 * Graphology is another in a long list of quack substitutes for hard work. It is appealing to those who are impatient with such troublesome matters as research, evidence analysis, reasoning, logic, and hypothesis testing.
 * "Graphology", The Skeptic's Dictionary


 * Ultimately, the main product being sold by human potential gurus is hope itself. It should be obvious that in itself this is not a bad thing. We all need hope. Without hope, there is no point in making plans for the future. Without hope, there is no point in working on a relationship or setting goals. Thus, insofar as participation in Large Group Awareness Training increases one's hope for finding one's way and for achieving one's goals, it is good. Even false hope may be better than no hope at all.
 * "Large group awareness training program", The Skeptic's Dictionary


 * History is replete with examples of what happens when any group of authorities do not have to answer to empirical evidence but are free to define truth as they see fit. None of the examples has a happy ending. Why should it be otherwise with therapy?
 * "Repressed memory therapy (RMT)", The Skeptic's Dictionary