next question: While he wanted to believe, what mindset prevented him from accepting it?
Options:
- deny
- skepticism
- doubt
- disbelief
- paranoid
reasoning:

Show your work and conclude with the exact phrasing "Therefore, the final answer is [answer]." where [answer] is just the final number or expression that solves the problem.
user
Skepticism is the state of being doubtful. Being doubtful makes one not accept something. The answer is skepticism.