I discovered the Skeptical Inquirer shortly after its name change from The Zetetic. It changed my life. I had already rejected religion after reading atheist writings, but I was still open to belief in UFOs, ESP, and all sorts of other weird things, simply because I had never come across anyone who questioned those beliefs. It was a revelation to learn that there were other explanations for those phenomena. And it was a revelation to learn about the human psychology of how our thinking can lead us astray. Regular reading of Skeptical Inquirer educated me: it was equivalent to taking a college course in critical thinking.
Most people hate to admit it when they are wrong; I don’t. One of the things I most love about skepticism is the opportunity to find out I was wrong about something. It means I have learned something and have a better grasp on reality than I did before. I feel smarter, and I find that very satisfying.