WaPo Offers Nine 'Helpful' Tips on How to Tell Friends and Family Their Conspiracy Theories Are Nonsense

Mike Miller reporting for RedState 

In this episode of What Could Possibly Go Wrong?…

Look, we’ve all seen it. And some of us have displayed it, as well — although we never see it in ourselves. Wild-ass conspiracy theories with no basis in reality that our friends and loved ones fervently believe with every bone in their body, and zero amount of information to the contrary will ever change their (our) minds.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, conspiracy theories have ranged from the belief by some in the term “Deep State” — way too “shadowy” and Tom Clancy-ish, as it were (which we later discovered was as real as could be) — to the JFK assassination to the “fake” moon landing, “flat” earth nonsense — and beyond.

And I didn’t even mention any of the current political conspiracy theories.

Anyway, as reported by The Washington Post, even when a source of information is known to be unreliable, research shows, many people will start to believe a claim if it’s repeated often enough — a phenomenon we’ve seen throughout history — often with disastrous consequences.

WaPo opined:

It’s important to debunk misinformation when we can — a task that often, unfortunately, starts at home. Correcting friends and family members about what they share online can be stressful, but it counts.

Experts say we’re more likely to change our point of view if we’re approached by someone we care about, especially if the person is someone with whom we tend to agree.

OK, two things before we continue.

First, I’d rule out the proverbial “Thanksgiving table political debate.” Second, you’d have a better chance teaching a pigeon to speak French than changing anyone’s mind on these four issues: abortion, religion, strongly-held political beliefs, and the legalization of marijuana.

According to WaPo, researchers who studied the circulation of false information on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms found that “corrections” received from a family member or a close friend are reshared more often than those sent by a casual acquaintance. Fair enough — so far.

WaPo contacted six experts to study how misinformation and conspiracy theories spread, and how people tend to discern fact from fiction. The key is to be empathetic, they said.

“Listen and try to understand someone’s concerns. Share the sources you use to gather reliable news and information. And if you really want to change someone’s point of view, get ready for multiple conversations, not just one chat.”

The above approach suggests that the conspiracists don’t immediately launch emotionally-driven broadside attacks, I assume, which is far more common than seeking to understand why they “might” be wrong. Here are several of the tips:

Start With Friendship, Not Facts

Mike Wagner, a professor and political scientist at the University of Wisconsin, said it’s important to remember that “the facts don’t matter” for many people who share misinformation. They often don’t trust mainstream news sources or political institutions.

Find the shared experiences that bring you together and demonstrate you’re not on the attack or calling them stupid. “Aim for the heart, not the head,” he said. “If facts worked, there would be no need to have the conversation.”

Wagner said you can disarm someone by engaging in “costly talk,” which is when people share concessions that are “bad for their side.” From there, Wagner suggests trying to discover the person’s trusted sources. If they won’t listen to mainstream media outlets or public officials, for example, who will they listen to, and are those sources sharing accurate information?

U-huh. Been there; done that. Before I stopped trying to teach pigeons to speak French, that is.

Don’t Become Emotional

Leticia Bode, a professor at Georgetown University who studies interventions against misinformation, said her advice is always to be kind and empathetic. “We’ve all been misinformed at some point,” Bode said. “It’s best to approach the conversation with the best intentions.

“Take a deep breath and try to let go of whatever emotions you’re feeling related to the misinformation,” Bode said. “A lot of misinformation, and especially disinformation, is created to arouse emotions.”

Again, speaking from experience, part of why I finally decided to stop trying to have a conversation with a pigeon who had zero desire to learn to speak French was because it was the pigeon who always got emotional — not yours truly.

Of the nine tips offered by WaPo, this one struck me as the most important:

Be Willing to Walk Away

If voices start to rise, if your blood starts to boil, “you need to pull back,” Silva said. It’s nearly impossible to recover the conversation once it evolves into a confrontation.

“You’re not necessarily going to fix this in one conversation,” Silva said. “You might need to just pull back and say ‘Maybe we can talk about this later.’ ”

In Wisconsin, 1 in 5 people say they have ended relationships with friends or family members because of politics and the recent statewide and national elections, Wagner said.

Conversations about politics, especially with those to whom you’re close, can become personal fast. Sometimes, you may decide the “emotional labor” of these conversations is no longer worth it, Wagner said.

“Not everybody is persuadable,” he said. “It’s okay if you’ve tried your best and they just can’t see it.”

And there it was. Silva’s last sentence: “Not everybody is persuadable. It’s okay if you’ve tried your best and they just can’t see it.”

As best I recall, not one of those aforementioned pigeons ever learned to speak French — must less did they give a damn about even trying.

The Bottom Line

Pigeon “humor” aside, politics, including politically predisposed beliefs — no matter how strongly held — isn’t life. If it’s yours, get a new life.

Life is short; it should be cherished, particularly with friends and loved ones, and we only get one shot at it. Are political beliefs, including conspiracy theories, worth destroying valuable relationships?

When push comes to shove, the old axiom rings true: It’s okay to agree to disagree. Is it sometimes damn hard? Hell yeah, it is. But it’s often far better than the alternative.