I’m more curious about what exactly finally caused them to drop that particular brand of bullshit, and if we can use the same thing to fight other insane or harmful beliefs.
If I recall correctly, in his flat earther videos he invited people to debate with him. A skilled debunker took him up on it and posted a response breaking down his arguments. He actually listened to the response and started a dialogue.
It worked because he was fairly new to it and had heard some flat earth arguments that made intuitive sense to him, but he was willing to follow logic where it lead. Once he heard decent arguments from someone outside the flat-earth echo chamber it all fell apart. Many flat earthers are too invested, it makes them feel special or clever or supports their religious beliefs, so they’ll twist themselves into rhetorical pretzels to dodge the conclusion that the earth is round.
So… get them early, respond kindly with good logic that’s easy to follow, and hope they’re willing to listen.
Watching flat earth debates inflicts psychic damage. It doesn’t matter how many points get debunked, they just immediately pivot to the next. For years they’ve been saying that a 24 hour sun in Antarctica is impossible (and it is on a flat model) and would disprove flat earth, while also dismissing all video of the phenomenon as fake and saying all the governments of the world prevent travel beyond the “ice wall.” Someone offered to pay for a flat earther and a globe earther to attend a yearly antarctic expedition to definitively prove the globe once and for all. The glober accepted. One flerfer declined, the second demanded his friend accompany him in place of the glober. Nothing is settled as far as I know. Flat earthers have also started claiming that a 24 hour sun in Antarctica would not disprove flat earth, in spite of years of saying the contrary.
It really is all a con and I’m glad this guy was open to the evidence.
It’s emotions. It’s never logic. It’s always emotions. Something happened that caused them emotional pain, which let them open their mind up to other paths.
Credit for the growth,but it makes me wonder what else that asshole was sure he was right about.
I’m more curious about what exactly finally caused them to drop that particular brand of bullshit, and if we can use the same thing to fight other insane or harmful beliefs.
If I recall correctly, in his flat earther videos he invited people to debate with him. A skilled debunker took him up on it and posted a response breaking down his arguments. He actually listened to the response and started a dialogue.
It worked because he was fairly new to it and had heard some flat earth arguments that made intuitive sense to him, but he was willing to follow logic where it lead. Once he heard decent arguments from someone outside the flat-earth echo chamber it all fell apart. Many flat earthers are too invested, it makes them feel special or clever or supports their religious beliefs, so they’ll twist themselves into rhetorical pretzels to dodge the conclusion that the earth is round.
So… get them early, respond kindly with good logic that’s easy to follow, and hope they’re willing to listen.
Watching flat earth debates inflicts psychic damage. It doesn’t matter how many points get debunked, they just immediately pivot to the next. For years they’ve been saying that a 24 hour sun in Antarctica is impossible (and it is on a flat model) and would disprove flat earth, while also dismissing all video of the phenomenon as fake and saying all the governments of the world prevent travel beyond the “ice wall.” Someone offered to pay for a flat earther and a globe earther to attend a yearly antarctic expedition to definitively prove the globe once and for all. The glober accepted. One flerfer declined, the second demanded his friend accompany him in place of the glober. Nothing is settled as far as I know. Flat earthers have also started claiming that a 24 hour sun in Antarctica would not disprove flat earth, in spite of years of saying the contrary.
It really is all a con and I’m glad this guy was open to the evidence.
It’s emotions. It’s never logic. It’s always emotions. Something happened that caused them emotional pain, which let them open their mind up to other paths.
We are all wrong about something. Probably almost everything in some way
What makes the difference is accepting solid evidence that contradicts our understanding of things.
Hopefully. And hopefully a little quicker and less loud about the wrong party than this guy.