Skeptics might be jumping to conclusions

[vulcanlogician]

By strict definition, one who is "skeptical" does not jump to conclusions. Skepticism is not the conclusion that ghosts do not exist. Rather, it's a default nonacceptance of the conclusion that they do. As the term "skeptic" has become entrenched in our vernacular it has come to mean a person whose default assumption is that ghosts and other psychic phenomena aren't real. By this latter definition, a skeptic certainly does jump to conclusions.

What's important to note here is that "someone who carefully weighs the evidence" has become synonymous with "someone who concludes ghosts don't exist." Coincidence? I think not. After (time and again) of noticing that people who carefully weigh the evidence come to the conclusion that supernatural phenomena have natural explanations, we have simply implemented a shortcut like Jor mentioned and categorized skeptics as people who conclude ghosts don't exist.

It's important to bring up the true meaning of "skeptic" because one also notices that people who accept the phenomena are typically not true skeptics--ie they don't look carefully at the evidence and consider all possibilities. Because the words have ventured a bit from their original meaning, it's worth pointing out that "believers" are characterized as those who jump to the conclusion, who do not look carefully at evidence, who do not consider alternate possibilities.