Wonders, Ch 1

What I found most interesting is how the "unknown" can inspire wonder, fear, curiosity, loathing, compassion, and hatred. Travelers, merchants, and generals brought high tales from afar that stoked the interest of the people back home; the more fantastic the better. These tales were "put to use" in moralizations, folklore, scare tactics against sinful behavior in adults, and likewise in children. My question is: did doubt ever come into play against these fantastic stories? It is largely absent from the text, but surely doubt is as powerful a mover as fantasy?