rationalskepticism.org

SafeAsMilk wrote:Let's modify your example so it's more relevant.

Someone has told you that there's margarine in your fridge. As far as you know you've never put margarine in your fridge, and nobody else has had the chance to put anything in there since the last time you checked. But to be fair, you've never actually seen or interacted with margarine, you're just going by what that someone described to you. You also know that this someone is heavily invested in there being margarine in your fridge. What's more, other somebodies have told you that a different brand of margarine which they prefer is in your fridge, and that the other people were either lying or deluded about their types being in your fridge.

You'd be perfectly justified in thinking they're all full of shit. But there's no shame in admitting that there is the possibility, however unlikely it seems, that margarine has somehow made it into your fridge, though you'd note that admitting this is not in any way evidence that there is margarine in your fridge. But you're not obliged to go check the fridge every time one of these boneheads wants to tell you their favorite brand is in your fridge. You'd be perfectly justified in feeling that it's their job to do the work of supporting their claim. And after a few hundred times of them opening your fridge and saying "It was just here, I swear!", you shouldn't feel too bad about wishing they'd just go away.