What Skepticism Isn't

A woman came up to me and said,
"I'd like to poison your mind,
With wrong ideas that appeal to you,
Though I am not unkind."
  - - - They Might Be Giants, "Whistling in the Dark"

I have recently written a post advocating what I would call skepticism.  In my view, skepticism comprises some fairly basic value judgments, some fundamental skills, and a process or approach to all testable claims.  Skepticism is a necessary component for navigating the minefield of delusion, deception and cognitive dissonance we all must pass through, whether we are scientists or not.  A necessary component yes, but we are learning the hard way it is not sufficient - we also need a set of emotional tools to stay calm, be kind, and to keep from getting lost.  I would like to address how we recognize skepticism and tell it apart from its imitators.