how do you deal with people who believe in batshit insane conspiracy theories?

it seems like everyone new i meet, or friends of friends, people i meet at parties, clubs, bands, whatever, they seem to ALL believe in some kind of conspiracy theory. things like the new world order, 9/11 truthers, swine flu mind control, fake moon landing, irrational hatred of the government, climate change garbage etc. i've heard basically everything, and it's just insane what people will believe and accept as 100% truth. it's all fucking BS, and i see through what they are saying, but trying to talk to these people about anything just makes them think i'm 'uneducated' and don't know the 'truth' because i haven't watched some youtube videos. there is no way to counter argue anything with them, it's like talking to a wall. this one guy, no matter what you say to him, any kind of critical thinking, using science, can not change his mind that george bush was responsible for 9/11. i have this other friend who has also basically started her own cult as well (don't get me started on that insanity).

it seems like either musicians or creative types of people just attract this unwavering kind of fucked up thinking about the world and other associated irregular thought patterns. these people appear to be 'normal' yet there are some serious issues going on if they believe this stuff as truth. i think what happens is that people somehow end up discounting ALL credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc. and then resort to believing whatever people tell them in person and what they view on youtube. 'it makes sense so it must be true'. never before have i encountered so many people who take peoples opinions as 100% fact. it's good to be skeptical of things, and to question things, but you can take it too far. how do you debate reality? you can't. so many conversations have ended in disaster. was it always like this? has the internet done something to propagate this kind of thing? sorry to rant but i've had a lot of crazy experiences lately, probably will continue tonight, also sorry for my grammar i'm kind of tipsy at the moment

I just cannot believe I found out today that all Americans are Jews it's just crazy.

welcome to talking to 80% of religious people

edit: 99.9%

how do you deal with people's batshit and unrelenting pigheaded faith in everything they hear from 'official sources' ?? .. now that's the real problem

best to be a little sceptical about everything .. and rely on past experience to determine likely future outcomes ... (ala american imperial behaviour blad dee blah

I find when arguing points, people tend to ignore that you have countered any of their points with endless tediously referenced and sensible rebuttals. It just doesn't go in, they fail to acknowledge that which goes against their strongly held beliefs*. So keep comming back to their disproven illogic over and over again. Each time behaving as if it's a trump card, when all it does is trivialise and marginalize the current aspect of the debate with what are generally angry rhetorical non sequiturs.

So it is the same as arguing against a religious person yes.

*- i was reading something to this effect in the new scientist the other month actually.

this is why i am in awe of awepittance ... that he has the strength to carry on the fight !! ... more power to you brother ..

i don't care so much anymore about the simplekins .. fuk 'em

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:38 PM, chax said:

credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc.

lol

indeed, was about to highlight that myself

but usually i deal with problems by sticking my finger up my pooper and cumming stupid hard

They are all up to something you know...

We must unite in secret, gain political power, and come up with an expensive global overelaborate nonsensical plan to kind of like undirectly annoy them all a little bit or something

how is any hatred for government "irrational"?

how old are you chax?

its sorta like how everyone talks about black people bitching about the police all the time....ya know...call me crazy, but I feel like there is a decent reason to do that in their case...i dunno just me.

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:57 PM, LUDD said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:38 PM, chax said:

credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc.

 

lol

you know what i mean. what's credible information about the world? it's all about lacking critical thinking skills. it's fucking insane man, how do you debate reality

stand behind the badge !! (or stand in front of the tazer (after we get our 9 guys off you))

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:04 AM, LUDD said:

how old are you chax?

25

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:13 AM, chax said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:57 PM, LUDD said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:38 PM, chax said:

credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc.

 

lol

 

you know what i mean. what's credible information about the world? it's all about lacking critical thinking skills. it's fucking insane man, how do you debate reality

The paper itself exists in reality as a physical entity. The writing on the otherhand exists somewhere between reality, editorial slant and fantasy. Hence my point about using past experience with a skeptical eye. You have to read between the lines. Understand the biases of certain groups. This only comes with time, maturity and a native distrust of authority.

Ludd was right, how old are you.

--- edit ---

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:15 AM, chax said:

25

bummer

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:19 AM, delet... said:

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:13 AM, chax said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:57 PM, LUDD said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:38 PM, chax said:

credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc.

 

lol

 

you know what i mean. what's credible information about the world? it's all about lacking critical thinking skills. it's fucking insane man, how do you debate reality

 

The paper itself exists in reality as a physical entity in reality. The writing on the otherhand exists somewhere between reality, editorial slant and fantasy. Hence my point about using past experience with a skeptical eye. You have to read between the lines. Understand the biases of certain groups. This only comes with time, maturity and a native distrust of authority.

 

Ludd was right, how old are you.

 

--- edit ---

 

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:15 AM, chax said:

25

 

 

bummer

what does my age have to do with anything? and i get what you're saying but i totally think you don't get what i'm saying.

okay follow me here:

let's say event A happens and is widely reported about and it is commonly accepted as fact. everyone knows it actually happened. there is no debate about it because there is nothing to debate. then a group of people for irrational reasons don't believe in event A even though it goes agisnt all science and rational logical fact. that's what im talking about. you shouldn't believe everything the media says, but then you're getting into the realm of questioning what truth is wtf? how do you get any new information about whats going on in the world delet? relying on peoples biased opinions around you?

the fact is media can still be manipulated

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:27 AM, ZeroHour said:

the fact is media can still be manipulated

i agree with you but it doesn't mean you should discount EVERYTHING

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:27 AM, ZeroHour said:

the fact is media can still be manipulated

and his sources are limited by time/interest ...

this is no personal affront chax, you enjoy the wine, sorry can't join you, to not talk about this subject ;-]

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:57 PM, LUDD said:

  On 12/5/2009 at 11:38 PM, chax said:

credible sources of information like the newspaper, online articles, tv news, etc.

 

 

 

lol

i'd just like to echo that lol

also, rofl

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:25 AM, chax said:

 

okay follow me here:

 

let's say event A happens and is widely reported about and it is commonly accepted as fact. everyone knows it actually happened. there is no debate about it because there is nothing to debate. then a group of people for irrational reasons don't believe in event A even though it goes agisnt all science and rational logical fact. that's what im talking about. you shouldn't believe everything the media says, but then you're getting into the realm of questioning what truth is wtf? how do you get any new information about whats going on in the world delet? relying on peoples biased opinions around you?

your credible sources maintain that 2 incriminating passports were found sitting on the rubble of the WTC

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:31 AM, delet... said:

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:27 AM, ZeroHour said:

the fact is media can still be manipulated

 

and his sources are limited by time/interest ...

 

this is no personal affront chax, you enjoy the wine, sorry can't join you, to not talk about this subject ;-]

i'm actually predrinking with white russians and i have like 3 different places to be tonight, i was hoping to just get some tips to deal with braindead conspiracy theorists i keep on meeting before i leave but the thread has turned into somehow debating what reality is, so whatever, i don't know

to me, the biggest danger is people who view this as a "category" "oh, you know, all that stuff"

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:29 AM, chax said:

  On 12/6/2009 at 12:27 AM, ZeroHour said:

the fact is media can still be manipulated

 

i agree with you but it doesn't mean you should discount EVERYTHING

true dat .. don't discount individual bits of verifiable fact, broad sweeping assertion on the other hand, needs a little dissection. It's a fun game called politics. Most people hate it cause the way society really works seems so unfair. There's this unrelenting series of nasty things going on that we seem to be able to have little to no effect over. So it's easier just to go with the flow, leave the dissection for the policy nerds ;-]