I hope Danna Young will forgive me for C&P'ing wholesale.
Here is more of her thread:
This all feeds into their need to believe in alternative narratives and conspiracy theories because the mainstream press, and mainstream institutions are out to get them (or keep them down). So, any information or evidence that comes from or through these institutions is suspect.
Therefore, the only real inroads that can be made are through emotional connections with loving, trusted contacts rooted NOT in information but in emotional connection and inquiry.
I know. People rolls their eyes when I say this. Yes. It's fucking hard.
I'm not talking about engaging lovingly with the crazy dude at the gas station who's telling you to take off your mask cause COVID is a hoax. I'm talking about your friends and family who have been lost to this elite-driven (read: Trump) conpiratopia.
Since psychological reactance is HUGE with folks who feel disrespected and maligned, the key is to establish the conditions to allow them to let guards down.
Psychological reactance is a combination of anger and active counter-argumentation to incoming information. It's a nightmare for persuasion campaigns.
So the key is to diffuse that process before it starts.
In health communication, campaign developers often do this by embedding information in stories and soap operas...
With interpersonal relationships, the key is to capitalize on the love and trust that exists between individual people. In my experience, playing dumb and neutral and open-hearted goes a long way here.
And before you yell at me that we shouldn't have to do this - Yeah. no shit. but apparently we do if we want relationships with these folks and we want to keep our loved ones to exist in the reality-based community.
Example. Imagine a parent who doesn't want to get vaccinated because they believe all sorts of crazy stuff about the vaccine:
"I totally understand your concerns. The world is upside down and it's hard to know what info to trust. Ultimately, it's your decision. I would just hate to see you unable to participate in your old favorite activities or unable to see friends because you don't get vaccinated."
It also might help to tap into possible other trusted elite sources. Do they trust their general practitioners? Often times even conspiracy theorists trust THEIR OWN doctors.
Maybe something like, "I hear you. These are scary times. Have you asked Doctor XX what he/she thinks you should do? Maybe ask the doctor if they themselves got vaccinated..."
Maybe tapping into NOT empirical scientific evidence, but powerful emotional and visual cues: "I have friends who are nurses & doctors who were so overwhelmed with gratitude when getting the vaccine that they wept. They see it as something that will really save lives."
Asking broader questions can help, too, always prefaced with a line that serves as an emotional "welcome mat:"
"I understand you're angry. If I were in your shoes I would be mad, too. But what if the people working to make you angry have something to gain from your anger?"