My dad is a massive conspiracy theorist and it's so frustrating

[patrilla]

Can anyone relate and how do you not make it drive you insane ??

He's visiting at the moment and it's just all doom and gloom constantly.

He's so extremely negative about literally everything and everything is proof that we are controlled by this elite group of people who just want to make sure we are controlled and destroyed.

Everything is a rip off and we have no liberties. We are all just sheep being ripped off and we are all really dumb apparently.

Say we need to pay for parking or we need to be careful not to drive in yellow boxes, as we can get fined- he takes all of it as a sign of control. If a place doesn't take cash, it's also a control thing and we are so dumb for going along with it all.

It's literally every little thing. Everything is so shit now and the world is ending. Don't even get me started on a nuclear war being absolutely imminent.

It's exhausting to be around.

Does anyone else know someone like this ? How do you deal with it ?

Don't even get me started on Covid. It's just everything. Everything is questioned, everyone is corrupt. Apart from the people spouting this stuff. They're the only ones telling the truth.

My ex best friend was like this and it’s been awful. She directed all of her anger and negativity at me as well

Problem is, they get all worked up about it, and don't really do anything useful, while everyone else is just getting on with their lives. Meanwhile alienating their friends and families, and often spending all their free time online instead getting out in the fresh air and living life.

Have you ever considered there might be a small nugget of truth in what he's saying? I mean, it's not completely beyond the realms of possibility. Particularly when it comes to corruption in govt, business and big pharma.

What I find really frustrating is when people dismiss such concerns as outright nonsense just because they

Of course I've considered that there is loads of shit going on in government and big pharma etc. OF COURSE there's something going on. Of course people do fucked up stuff.

But I'm not going around talking about Hillary Clinton drinking baby blood - and I'm generally not going around all day talking about what I think is going on. And I have my own thoughts on certain things, that to some are controversial and edging on some of this stuff - but what I don't do, is talk about it all day long, call people sheep etc. I just get on with my fucking life.

So your DH is a conspiracy theorist too then, if he believes it

Yes most of them avoided having the Covid vaccine, declaring it crap and that "we don't know what's in it!" Whilst shovelling junk food in and happily walking round shops/taking public transportation etc and enjoying the herd immunity that the rest of us have provided them with by taking the bloody vaccine!

This with bells on!!
What are people actually worried about? Would it make any difference to my life in the Earth was flat? Well no - clearly we can still live on the Earth and travel places so who cares? More to the point - where is the edge???

I had an ex like this. To the extent of actually believing in lizard people.
It was endless talk talk talk, and so much anger / negativity. I would tell him if he really believes then either DO something about it - or just STFU! Like, go live in the mountains somewhere away from everyone if you really really believe it all that. There are whole communities they'd fit right into..!

I think all of these conspiracies vastly overestimate the competency of governments. They can barely run countries, let alone the world lol

he’s not as bad as her, I can usually make him see that there is no reason to her crazy thoughts. Her latest two weird theories are:

1. the northern lights were caused by government manipulation
2. that viruses can’t be caught or transmitted , they are already in your body and occasionally they come out symptomatic

husband is very ‘open minded’ and is respectful of his crazy Ma. Fortunately he has me to correct her

Gingeraut
Most of the 'agitators' after the dreadful Southport

What utter nonsense.

I would put money on them all watching GB News!

The fear was the government were controlling people's movements, stopping us seeing family and not allowing us to make decisions for ourselves. In Canada people's bank accounts were frozen for protesting! In the US Biden told people they were killing their grandma for not taking a vaccine! The fact is people were bullied into having a vaccine they didn't need. People still get it and it still spreads between people and we were told in the beginning the chances of contracting it after getting the vaccines was minimal. The narrative kept changing. No wonder people began to question things. Politicians having parties while telling us not to see family so they couldn't be that worried about the virus could they? People have become more distrustful and I don't blame anyone. The way covid was handled was terrible and the government has itself to blame for causing more so called conspiracys theorists and vaccine scepticism. It's really not rocket science to realise it's going to cause a lot of people to question motives, agendas and then rightly or wrongly start questioning everything. Its funny how people talk about women's right to chose but when it came to someone's right to chose having a vaccine, perfectly healthy people with no co morbiditys were treated like shit for choosing not to have a vaccine that they did not need. I think time has proven them to be correct in not having it and us rather gullible for believing it was the right thing to do. I think a lot of people are hypocrites when it comes to these issues. Pretend they are high and mighty and good people but in reality they are selfish and judgement arse holes.

You didn't see any of the early footage from China and Italy then?

100% THIS! With bells on.

At the height of lockdown, I had the most explosive argument with a very pro-vax family member after she boldly declared she fully supported the unvaxxed being barred from public places.

Fast forward to now and this very same person - in response to two young, fit relatives developing 'heart issues' - has openly declared she's having 'no more boosters'. If this relative can start questioning things, anyone can.

"elite group of people who just want to make sure we are controlled"

When have us "plebs" not been controlled?

Whether by the lord of the manor, the church, the need to earn money to pay taxes. Always controlled to some degree.