Flerfs can’t understand scale, they can’t understand 3d space, they can’t understand distances, they can’t understand pretty much anything. The world is scary for them, they deserve our pity AND scorn. If only they paid attention in school
They certainly deserve our pity. They’re lonely people who were never great in school and now get to think they’re smarter than others AND have found a community that accepts them.
Unfortunately the very pressures that made them susceptible to the flat earth movement and other conspiracies are the same pressures that keep them from accepting that they’re wrong. “Scorn” probably isn’t a useful tool, even if it feels like the right one (and they absolutely deserve it).
The Socratic method would be far more effective. Continue to ask them questions, accepting as a given that they’re intelligent people and treating them as such. Innocently interrogate them, with genuine interest, about the things they are saying until they reason themselves out of their positions.
But this will only work if they’re someone you know, most likely. Otherwise they’re likely to shun you the first time they come across a question that truly shakes their position.
You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into. “They’re hiding the true shape of the ball, because they don’t like god” isn’t a reasonable argument. And yet for a lot of Flat Earthers, that’s exactly the reason why a lot of them believe the earth is flat “cuz muh bibble sez so”.
Believe you me, I have tried the socratic method, but they’re much more comfortable with the lies from Eric Dubay’s monotonous drone zone, Flatzoid’s Perspective’s selective editing, Nathan Oakley’s daily shouting hour than any real facts. We live in a post fact world, it’s all “a matter of opinion” to these flat earth weirdos.
They certainly deserve our pity. They’re lonely people who were never great in school and now get to think they’re smarter than others AND have found a community that accepts them.
Unfortunately the very pressures that made them susceptible to the flat earth movement and other conspiracies are the same pressures that keep them from accepting that they’re wrong. “Scorn” probably isn’t a useful tool, even if it feels like the right one (and they absolutely deserve it).
The Socratic method would be far more effective. Continue to ask them questions, accepting as a given that they’re intelligent people and treating them as such. Innocently interrogate them, with genuine interest, about the things they are saying until they reason themselves out of their positions.
But this will only work if they’re someone you know, most likely. Otherwise they’re likely to shun you the first time they come across a question that truly shakes their position.
You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into. “They’re hiding the true shape of the ball, because they don’t like god” isn’t a reasonable argument. And yet for a lot of Flat Earthers, that’s exactly the reason why a lot of them believe the earth is flat “cuz muh bibble sez so”.
Believe you me, I have tried the socratic method, but they’re much more comfortable with the lies from Eric Dubay’s monotonous drone zone, Flatzoid’s Perspective’s selective editing, Nathan Oakley’s daily shouting hour than any real facts. We live in a post fact world, it’s all “a matter of opinion” to these flat earth weirdos.