I’ll be honest, this is as much a question as it is a vent.

Specifically, how do you deal with people you meet everyday like family, coworkers, etc. who just revel in conspiracy theories?

I have a coworker who is dead certain 5G somehow produces the coronavirus, despite easily verifiable facts in microbiology and physics showing otherwise. He’s a nice guy in general with a degree in electronics, but dear lord, when he starts with this tin-foil hat bullshit it ruins my day.

  • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
    32·
    4 years ago

    Just ask them how COVID, apparently a mere “flu”, somehow affects the airsacs in the lungs permanently, magically causes pneumonia and in some cases reduces heart pump function by half, leading to heart attacks.

    I am sure they will put 3 brackets around science, like the /pol/ kind of people do, and there you tell them that they are not just COVID denier, but also science denier, and thus logic deniers as well.

    Instead of refusing to involve, which will make their beliefs stronger, employ tricks to defeat their predictable handful garbage arguments in a couple back and forths so they get to know their place. My dad is a doctor, and I am an information resource to my friends so we have these devised tricks at our fingertips.

    • Gmork@lemmy.ml
      1·
      4 years ago

      " there you tell them that they are not just COVID denier, but also science denier, and thus logic deniers as well."

      I like this!!! Simple, to the point and really drives it home.

      I like to invoke Pascal’s wager (Bonus points if the individual is religious) to show how the benefit of wearing an uncomfortable mask should outweigh the result of comfortably not wearing one.