Leaderboard

One sides truth, is the other sides denial. For example, I am convinced there is no such thing as a bigfoot and that the "truth" of bigfoot is clearly that it is nothing more than a social construct. Still fascinating and worthy of study and observation and participation, but there is no "truth" to be discovered for me other than to figure out why bigfoot believers act they way they do. Nothing short of an interesting DNA result or a body would change my mind about this topic. No more stories, tracks, etc are going to do it. For a "knower", their "truth" is, also, already found and equally immutable. The Patty suit could be found and all living parties video recorded while admitting and explaining the hoax. Every alleged bigfoot sample could continue to come back from the lab as known animal. It does not and will not matter. Bigfoot believers are a stubborn bunch. In my mind, they deny reality. In their mind, I deny bigfoot "evidence". Neither side seeks "truth". Each side feels they already have the truth, but it is only being denied.

One has either encountered a bigfoot or one has not. If one has encountered a bigfoot, the belief debate is moot. If one has not, the belief debate is everything. This forum is not dominated by either proponents or skeptics. It is dominated by believers of both camps who argue their respective belief systems. But there is the occasional nugget of significant information....

No change in my belief or lack there of. I am 99.9 % convinced Bigfoot does not exist. I enjoy the fantasy and mystery of it all. I have researched, read and spent many hours in the woods of Florida. I remain hopeful and wish I were wrong,but reality sets in and I know I am not. There is simply no hard evidence for the creatures existence . Lots of speculation, mistaken or less than truthful eyewitnesses ,foot prints that could have been faked ,hoaxers, etc. does not make the mythical beast a flesh and blood animal. I agree with dmaker and am amazed that people actually think they do exist in the real world. I do respect their dedication.

Imagine how much less traffic BFF would have without the science-peddling report-reader.

I'm hopeful but find it more and more difficult to believe due to the number of unbelievable people. t.

"My time on the BFF coincides with my time spent researching BF online ..." Same with me. I had no real interest in bigfoot for most of my life. I had seen the spooky things like "In Search of..." with Leonard Nimoy when I was really young as well as The Legend of Boggy Creek (scared the beejubus out of me at the age of 9), but other than that, I would watch the occasional documentary if I happened across it while channel surfing. Then I tuned in to Finding Bigfoot one day, and it all changed. I was shocked at how MM was rattling off his "bigfoot facts" as if bigfoot was a known animal. I was honestly shocked. I thought how could this be true, how could bigfoot have been found and there be no fanfare at all? So, like you, I imagine, I started researching online. I bought a few bigfoot books ( Legend Meets Science, The Discovery of the Sasquatch, Bigfoot The True Story of Apes in North America to name a few) but always felt quite unsatisfied. All the books talk, but don't show. There are no pictures of bigfoot, no bigfoot DNA, nothing that could not be explained by something else. This emerged as a very common theme. Bigfoot always seemed to be alluded to but never revealed. I eventually ended up here, at the BFF. And it was really here that my skepticism was confirmed. There was a time when some skeptical members, more learned than I, used to post. People like Saskeptic who really did a great job of participating and demonstrating the true side of bigfoot vis a vis science. Not what you get in hokey documentaries or from self styled scientists here, but a true bona fide phd who was open to the idea, but honest about the evidence. Add that to the mental gymnastics I see here every day while people try to shoehorn bigfoot into reality, and well I was done. Also add to that the long, long list of failed endeavors such as Ketchum, Sykes, Hershom, Daisy in a Box, Falcon Project, etc, and it now just boggles my mind how any one can maintain a belief in bigfoot. That is pretty much how I came to where I am at now. I am now more curious about the culture of bigfoot belief. About why it seem so important to some people that a belief in this creature persist. Especially in those that have never laid claim to even seeing one. What is it about this particular myth that makes people cling so strongly? That is where most of my interest lies. And that is probably why I persist here presenting the skeptical opinion whenever I can. If I was still a student, and majoring in psych, this topic would make a hell of an awesome thesis. Who knows, maybe when I retire, and if I am still interested in this phenomenon, I might just go back to grad school just for this reason. Until such time, I will continue to participate and observe and engage. Maybe someday, if I have enough time and inclination, a book might come out of it.