I have family members like this. Try showing them a picture of galaxies from James Webb and argue that the universe might be more than 6,000 years old…off the rails immediately.
You can’t meet that kind of argument logically. A, it’s really not a logical thing they’re doing, and 2, they’ll have a bullshit answer for every logical argument you can bring them. If confronted with something they can’t refute it simply must be a hoax. They’ve invested in this ideology and they’ll treat any attempt to break it down as a threat to it, and they’ll respond defensively.
Instead a better approach is to ask probing questions. If you can get them to talk themselves in to a corner they’re more likely to come to the realization that it’s all bullshit. Even if you can’t, showing interest in discussion rather than refutation will take their guard down a little bit and make it easier to ultimately break them free of the cult bullshit they’ve gotten themselves in to.
“The advantage that religion (and conservatives) has over magic or science is that man’s inability to understand is built into the system, so if an explanation is confusing or unsatisfying, it strengthens the point.”
-Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
![[CW: Slurs] Any attempt to connect with my dad immediately turns into "Woke liberals are ruining the world."](https://lemmy.ca/pictrs/image/0c31dba6-f734-472c-9aab-ab90643b89a6.jpeg){kind=link}
I have family members like this. Try showing them a picture of galaxies from James Webb and argue that the universe might be more than 6,000 years old…off the rails immediately.
You can’t meet that kind of argument logically. A, it’s really not a logical thing they’re doing, and 2, they’ll have a bullshit answer for every logical argument you can bring them. If confronted with something they can’t refute it simply must be a hoax. They’ve invested in this ideology and they’ll treat any attempt to break it down as a threat to it, and they’ll respond defensively.
Instead a better approach is to ask probing questions. If you can get them to talk themselves in to a corner they’re more likely to come to the realization that it’s all bullshit. Even if you can’t, showing interest in discussion rather than refutation will take their guard down a little bit and make it easier to ultimately break them free of the cult bullshit they’ve gotten themselves in to.
Deprogram, don’t fight.
“Reasoning will never make a Man correct an ill Opinion, which by Reasoning he never acquired”
“The advantage that religion (and conservatives) has over magic or science is that man’s inability to understand is built into the system, so if an explanation is confusing or unsatisfying, it strengthens the point.” -Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer