Popper argued that the true mark of a pseudoscience is its unfalsifiability.
Any counterfact, any counterargument, is neatly folded into the system and
used to strengthen it. You don’t accept the Labor Theory of Value? That
just PROVES the delusional effect of having a bourgeois mentality! Well,
here is a little gem along the same lines from the Letters column of the
current (8/2/03) Science News. Background: a few weeks ago, SN
reported on a study by Roy Baumeister of Florida State U, indicating that
high self-esteem does not lead to improved school or job performance, that
“people who evalueated themselves extremely positively” are not more likely
than others to have satisfying relationships, to avoid drug use or
depression, etc. OK, here’s the rebuttal letter from the current issue:
“Your short piece: ‘Findings puncture self-esteem claims’ didn’t say how
self-esteem was assessed. Over-developed egotism is often a compensatory
phenomenon in individuals with low self-esteem and can falsely present as
high self-esteem. Self-reported self-regard taken at face value can lead to
wrong conclusions about the effects of different levels of self-esteem on
behavior, perceptions, relationships, and other aspects of life.” So high
self-esteem can be a marker of low self-esteem. Got that?