3 ms·

Theres lots to unpack here. > He is an opportunity. By becoming a lightening rod and focal point for a large fraction of a country's misguided thinking, he has

Theres lots to unpack here. > He is an opportunity. By becoming a lightening rod and focal point for a large fraction of a country's misguided thinking, he has made that misguided thinking more fragile. Easier to dislodge. Because now you just need to find a combination of words that helps his followers see him for what he actually is. His followers see themselves in him. Attack him and they will feel attacked. Attacked people don’t change their minds, they dig into their beliefs harder. The only way to change peoples minds is to realize that you can’t. You can only make it safe for them to change their own minds. > And if you succeed, everyone who sees will get a lesson in thinking more clearly. They will be more resilient to a future charlatan. Not without first accepting that they themselves were wrong. This is hard. People see them selves as right. To admit they are wrong is to destroy a little part of themselves (ego). > So if Alex Jones makes your blood boil, then put that emotion to work. Raise his platform. Discuss him. Debunk his ideas one by one. Use whichever tools appeal to you. If youtube wants to help, then youtube algorithms should be tweaked to encourage people to view both sides of the debate. Rational debate doesn’t change peoples minds unless they identify as rational people. Then being rationally coherent is important, more so than being right, so they can change their minds. Not everyone holds being rationally coherent that close to their identity. People will often just dig in harder to avoid being wrong. For every 100 people you expose him to, some N% find them selves agreeing. The more you talk about him, the more you share and “raise his platform” the more followers you get him. Simple marketing funnels. Persistent societal tolerance requires one thing, vehement intolerance of intolerant people. It’s some prolog level recursive logic.

thomk 8y ago
"The only way to change peoples minds is to realize that you can’t. You can only make it safe for them to change their own minds." I'm curious where you heard that, it's an interesting perspective I have not considered before.
- iovrthoughtthis 8y ago
  Helping my partner through depression. I realized I kept trying to excersize control over their recovery e.g. making them go to the doctor, making them do things. In the process i found that they very much so wanted to be a “well” person and going to the docotor was not something a “well” person does. So instead of pushing then I just focussed on making it safe for them to be unwell. Through holding space, admitting my own vulnerabilities and issues, and by not reacting negatively to their psychosis symptoms. I recognized the similarity with other instances of changing peoples minds. Some people want control, and accepting your ideas reduces their perceived control, so you need to make it safe for them to accept the idea (change their mind) while still feeling in control. Some people see them selves a good people and admitting their actions are biggoted and hurtful doesn’t fit with that so they rationalize the “others” as bad. To change their minds they need a way to feel like good people even though they’ve done biggoted, hurtful things. Some people are scared and they will rationalize that fear in some mannor. To convince them that there is nothing to fear from that which they rationalised means making it safe for them to experience fear without that justification.
- Rubinsalamander 8y ago
  Two well informed people can come to different conclusions on the same topic despite both having access to the same information. Its their underlying believes that makes both feel their opinion is right and logical. If you want to change opinions you have to change the underlying believes that form them. And you have to do it in a way that they feel they figured it out on their own. If you do it in a "push down the throat" way it will just make it worse. In that light i dont think the ban was a good idea...

thomk 8y ago

"The only way to change peoples minds is to realize that you can’t. You can only make it safe for them to change their own minds." I'm curious where you heard that, it's an interesting perspective I have not considered before.

iovrthoughtthis 8y ago
Helping my partner through depression. I realized I kept trying to excersize control over their recovery e.g. making them go to the doctor, making them do things. In the process i found that they very much so wanted to be a “well” person and going to the docotor was not something a “well” person does. So instead of pushing then I just focussed on making it safe for them to be unwell. Through holding space, admitting my own vulnerabilities and issues, and by not reacting negatively to their psychosis symptoms. I recognized the similarity with other instances of changing peoples minds. Some people want control, and accepting your ideas reduces their perceived control, so you need to make it safe for them to accept the idea (change their mind) while still feeling in control. Some people see them selves a good people and admitting their actions are biggoted and hurtful doesn’t fit with that so they rationalize the “others” as bad. To change their minds they need a way to feel like good people even though they’ve done biggoted, hurtful things. Some people are scared and they will rationalize that fear in some mannor. To convince them that there is nothing to fear from that which they rationalised means making it safe for them to experience fear without that justification.
Rubinsalamander 8y ago
Two well informed people can come to different conclusions on the same topic despite both having access to the same information. Its their underlying believes that makes both feel their opinion is right and logical. If you want to change opinions you have to change the underlying believes that form them. And you have to do it in a way that they feel they figured it out on their own. If you do it in a "push down the throat" way it will just make it worse. In that light i dont think the ban was a good idea...