feckin conspiracy theories

[logicandfacts]

Has anyone managed to change someone's mind about misinformation, conspiracy theories - all the stuff that's caused so many problems in relationships over the past few years?

Has any media made a decent programme explaining how this happens to people? If there is, I could show it to "people".

I find it absolutely enraging that I can't change people's minds. AITA?

Examples can be provided.

Agree that it's the obsession that is so hard. Dh and extended family have form for at least considering various conspiracy theories. But its light, not obsessive and is genuinely just about trying to look at the world differently. It's also v easy to have a discussion and then, at the right point, to agree to disagree.

I have lost a friend however who was obsessively sending messages and links. Haranguing us in a group chat. Putting words in our mouths and, at one point, made some pretty harsh accusations because none of us were willing to campaign against covid passports. She has lost all perspective. Her twitter feed is frightening. I haven't seen her in 2 years.....

@Fireyflies my friend says she is not a stupid conspiracy theorist as she has a degree in (animal) science and so she knows what she's talking about. Whereas I don't so will discover I'm wrong I guess

Its actually quite worrying. I mean there’s no easy answer, once down that hole anything you try is gonna be part of the conspiracy to them. I’ve seen a couple of families ruined by this crap. Potentially we are heading for big societal issues with this but not much way of stopping it without curbing freedom of speech etc which obviously can’t be an option. Scary.

This is pretty much how I see it. Well said.

It probably isn’t the threat to society that it might be, because the people that believe this stuff are inconsistent and not really leadership material.

They are often disenfranchised and obviously vulnerable. It’s really sad for the families though.

I just watched the BBC documentary posted upthread. It was obvious that some of the people on it had deep issues.

Yeah my ex went down the rabbit hole apparently covid didn't exist but he didn't want to see his kids "cos covid" and worked at a covid testing site bizarrely

Walked past a funeral the other day and they were all well you never here of them dying "of" covid it's always "with" isnt it....as if covid is a little angel of death visiting patients on the ward and just happened to be around when they pass

I definitely agree with this. The problem is when it's your beloved best friend who thinks you're a unreasonable bitch because you won't take it seriously

It sucks ,it really does but there's not a lot you can do. Just try not to take it personally, because it isn't. You're not their best friend anymore, you're a threat to their belief system. You could be their mother,their sister,their husband. You're a treat and treated as such. You're the non believer,the heretic,the witch. You haven't changed,they have and it's not your fault. You can't fix or change it. Not unless you're willing to lie through your teeth or go down the rabbit hole with them and that's not something anyone should have to do for another person.

There's a reason why families/friends work with and hire professionals when someone they love is rescued from a cult.

The only way to prevent it is very long term and expensive. Proper intervention ,support,diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues and neurodivergence. Transparency and fairness in civil service,law, various system. Which also need funding and appropriate staffing. Early intervention in a Prevent type way . Ensure people feel /are safe,have shelter,enough food,warmth etc and don't feel disenfranchised, outcasts, like they don't belong or that they're targeted.

You'd still have some of course, but not enough to truly fan the flames and end up with mass hysteria and dangerous incidents.

At first I found my friend quite amusing but when I would gently joke that what he was saying didn't actually add up, he was genuinely upset.

My advice is to talk about other things.

My Mum is a big time conspiracy theorist, and so is my brother. Some examples -
Mum - blamed the miscarriage I had at the beginning of the year on having had the Covid vaccine.
Sanitisers cause cancer (now since this I have read that certain brands of sanitisers were found to cause cancer), I asked her but what about the tobacco she smokes? Bacon? Etc.
The reason I’ve had so many colds recently is because I had the vaccine (honestly last one I had was over a year ago, only had the 1st and 1 booster and decided not to have any more).
(I’m not pro-vaccine, nor anti-vaccine I’d like to add).
She’s stock piling on tinned foods and has bought us all gas cookers because there’s going to be a major black out.
Some things about Joe Biden that I didn’t pay attention to.
Some things about the Rothchild’s again I didn’t pay attention to.
There are many others but I can’t remember right now, partly because when I hear “I was reading up on XXX last night… and I don’t listen. She does this reading past midnight while having a drink so no good is going to come out of that!

My brother -
Pretty much the same as my Mum, however one other special thing he’s doing is buying gold and silver bullion, because he thinks that the currency is going to crash or something, not quite sure what. But he’s stock pilling loads of gold and silver bullion anyway.

@ldontWanna thank you so much for those wise words. She's definitely not the same person anymore

My advice is to talk about other things.

This worked for a bit then it didn't

Honestly theorists have been peddling gold and silver for decades! Please tell him that if SHTF no one will want gold or silver, they'll want land and food!

I know, I received paragraph after paragraph, day after day, gently ignore until they eventually speak about something else 😂

There appears to be duality in the intent.
Lots of people believe in certain conspiracies, but don’t allow it to take over their lives and ruin their relationships.

I personally 100% believe there are aliens, I could talk about it for hours, but I don’t, because others are allowed opinions and I respect that, and I’m more than happy to accept that not everyone shares my belief.

Covid deniers and anti vaxxers seem to have stepped this up to a disturbing level and cannot have rational conversations about anything. As someone said upthread it’s like a mental illness.
It’s beyond just having different opinions, there’s no room beyond the one mighty truth - although I’ve noticed that as we’re nearing the end of 2022 the predictions of half the global population being dead by the end of 2022 (because covid (simultaneously existing and not existing) was sent out by the CCP to kill us all, but didn’t work, so Bill Gates invented the vaccine to catch the rest) are being rewritten to fit the fact that the population is inconveniently still rising.

Interesting!

I’ve just posted about my Mum and my brother being conspiracy theorists and they are (although not diagnosed) definitely narcissistic. I’ve always told my husband that they are narcissists, and I’m not just throwing the term around, when they do these crazy, hurtful things to me, but portray otherwise to the public, I always look the term up and it definitely ticks the box.

I'm not missing any point. She is allowing it to affect her mental health, and you are allowing that to affect you. Nobody is making you do that. If she can't stop sharing her views, limit your time with her. Agree with her, outwardly, so that she doesn't feel the need to keep arguing with you. Do whatever you need, but her views aren't impacting on you for any other reason than that you let them.

Pretty much the same as my Mum, however one other special thing he’s doing is buying gold and silver bullion, because he thinks that the currency is going to crash or something, not quite sure what. But he’s stock pilling loads of gold and silver bullion anyway.
That's one of the grifts. Several prominent individuals pushing the conspiracy theories are connected to bullion dealing. Particularly silver, and they're encouraging followers to buy, buy, buy. Probably hoping to pump and dump

The cryptocurrency market hasn't gone so well for them.

@Watchkeys of course unless you are made of stone this will affect a person watching someone they care about spiral into an alternative reality and push them away for not being into it. Its not just a case of believe what you like and no harm is done. Relationships are breaking down. It’s horrible.

I think what's hard to fathom is that sometimes it's just an opinion, which I find totally fine, but sometimes the person totally changes their personality, choices and lifestyle over it.

@Tekkentime

Honestly theorists have been peddling gold and silver for decades! Please tell him that if SHTF no one will want gold or silver, they'll want land and food!

Exactly. I wonder if he’ll wake up one day and think what the hell has he been wasting his money on?! He also invested a lot of money in cryptocurrency, now look where that’s at. Also contradicts his bullion theory as well in some ways.. no “digital currency” in the form of banking, but cryptocurrency and bullion? I just don’t understand..!

Yes, relationships break down and it is horrible. It's difficult, but we're all adults. Everyone is allowed to believe what they want, whether people are hurt or not. There's no law regarding hurting someone because they refuse to believe what you believe. Because we are all adults, and differences of opinion will occur. Whether you let it get to you is your responsibility, otherwise your wellbeing is in the hands of others. That's the position of a child.

No, it is odd 🤔see how can they support both ideas? Cashless society = genuinely real and bad, but then crypto = good

I feel sorry for him.

@Watchkeys yes but there comes a point where it is concerning and could be really dangerous. A case recently near me happened where a child under social services was “kidnapped”by the father and a search out out because he didn’t trust the authorities re covid etc and decided to remove the child from society and educate the child as to his (conspiracy based) beliefs.
Its one thing having an opinion and it’s another spreading a load of unsubstantiated crap which isn’t as harmless as you may think.

This is my brother. He spends all his free time watching you tube and strange men in the middle of woodland. He brings it up in very conversation. Completely isolated lonely and obsessed.