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Learn how to talk to people without respecting them. Once you've got it down, you can eviscerate this sort of person in public without getting your hands wet.

munk-a 7y ago
I'd appreciate you clarifying "eviscerate" here, if you mean you can convince them the earth is round then hooray - but there are some incredibly stubborn people out there so I really doubt your prowess... More likely I assume that by "eviscerate" you mean that you can walk away from the conversation feeling like it's impossible for a rational person to disagree with what you said - that's certainly a nice feeling for you but I strongly doubt you're having any significant impact on their beliefs.
- lidHanteyk 7y ago
  Think like Marvin the Paranoid Android. It's not about your beliefs or emotions, but those of the person that you're talking to. Your goal isn't to feel good about yourself, but to be confident that they cannot feel good about their position in light of what's been brought up.
LyndsySimon 7y ago
Speaking to someone without respect for them or their views isn't going to change their minds - ever. I have a "flat earther" friend on Facebook. I didn't know that about him until after I'd already friended him, but he posts about it constantly. After an initial private message of "Are you for real?", I've made it a point to as mildly as possible point out the obvious logical fallacies in the things he posts. I don't expect I'll ever change his mind - it's possible, but you can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into. Instead, I'd just like to have him see inconsistencies in what others who believe what he believes say. Over time I'm hoping that will at the very least keep it from spreading.
- deeng 7y ago
  > ... but you can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into. I'm living proof that this isn't true. I was a Young Earth Creationist for nearly 30 years, despite having an engineering degree from one of the world's best universities. I no longer believe in anything supernatural. It took a very long time, but I was eventually reasoned out of a position I wasn't reasoned into. When people incorporate ideology into their identity, challenging the ideology directly is often interpreted as a personal attack or something else not worth honestly engaging with. A far better approach is to examine the methods people use to reach conclusions. There's a conversation technique called Street Epistemology that does exactly that. IMHO, it's the most productive way to have these kind of conversions.
- lidHanteyk 7y ago
  Interact with them in person, in private, and you'll change their mind. It can't be done over social media.

munk-a 7y ago

I'd appreciate you clarifying "eviscerate" here, if you mean you can convince them the earth is round then hooray - but there are some incredibly stubborn people out there so I really doubt your prowess... More likely I assume that by "eviscerate" you mean that you can walk away from the conversation feeling like it's impossible for a rational person to disagree with what you said - that's certainly a nice feeling for you but I strongly doubt you're having any significant impact on their beliefs.

lidHanteyk 7y ago
Think like Marvin the Paranoid Android. It's not about your beliefs or emotions, but those of the person that you're talking to. Your goal isn't to feel good about yourself, but to be confident that they cannot feel good about their position in light of what's been brought up.

LyndsySimon 7y ago

Speaking to someone without respect for them or their views isn't going to change their minds - ever. I have a "flat earther" friend on Facebook. I didn't know that about him until after I'd already friended him, but he posts about it constantly. After an initial private message of "Are you for real?", I've made it a point to as mildly as possible point out the obvious logical fallacies in the things he posts. I don't expect I'll ever change his mind - it's possible, but you can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into. Instead, I'd just like to have him see inconsistencies in what others who believe what he believes say. Over time I'm hoping that will at the very least keep it from spreading.

deeng 7y ago
> ... but you can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into. I'm living proof that this isn't true. I was a Young Earth Creationist for nearly 30 years, despite having an engineering degree from one of the world's best universities. I no longer believe in anything supernatural. It took a very long time, but I was eventually reasoned out of a position I wasn't reasoned into. When people incorporate ideology into their identity, challenging the ideology directly is often interpreted as a personal attack or something else not worth honestly engaging with. A far better approach is to examine the methods people use to reach conclusions. There's a conversation technique called Street Epistemology that does exactly that. IMHO, it's the most productive way to have these kind of conversions.
lidHanteyk 7y ago
Interact with them in person, in private, and you'll change their mind. It can't be done over social media.