It is useless, Mr Witkowski - or why is it so difficult to fight pseudo-science?

In this commentary I argue that the Author of the provocation showed moral courage, however he did not escape the sin of over-generalization in evaluating reactions of the academic community to the provocation. The observed lack of unambiguous support to the Author's effort may be explained in a number of ways. First, psychotherapy tends to be perceived as not scientific, due to its tradition, the way it is practiced, and the prevalent optimistic bias as to its effects. Second, forces of a free market create demand for the pseudoscientific practices that promise improvement of life quality. Third, the deep irrationality as revealed in a general acceptance of beliefs that contradict scientific knowledge may lead to higher tolerance of pseudoscientific concepts. peerReviewed publishedVersion