๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐. โณ
I remember watching the news coverage, the feelings of horror, the shock among the country that such an event happened. ๐ฑ
I even remember the news wrongfully attributing the killerโs potential motive to his diagnosis of autism. โ
It wasnโt easy for many people to comprehend. Who would want to let the feeling sink in that someone was actually capable of committing such horror on innocent lives? ๐ซ
“๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐?! ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?!”
It was around the same time this event happened that I was browsing YouTube one day and noticed a popular video trending on their home page. The video was over a half hour in length, a video I would not normally take the time to watch. ๐ฅ๏ธ
But the title of the video caught my attention: โSANDY HOOK EXPOSEDโ. ๐ฑ
I clicked on itโฆand for the next half hour I was entranced watching the entire video! ๐ต
๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ. ๐ฟ
I remember watching the lengthy YouTube video and being shown a bunch of chopped-up news clips. I remember the video’s sound being muted, the subtitles of the video feeding me various questions and answers ๐ญ:
โ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐?!โ โ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?!โ โ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!โ โ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐!โ
I remember watching a clip which showed a father whose daughter was killed in Sandy Hook seemingly go from smiling to crying in seconds. Again, the subtitles were ready to tell me what to think: โ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐!โ โ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?!โ ๐ญ
I remember another clip which showed the mother of the daughter, but she was smiling and saying words you couldnโt hear because the audio was muted. Again, the subtitles were ready to tell me what to think: โ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?!โ โ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐!โ ๐ญ
I also remember the shocking realization I felt watching the video. There was this excitement, this sense of thrill within me that I was learning something the general public was not aware of. Only me and other viewers of this YouTube video were now privy to this private information! ๐
The video brought me to the conclusion it wanted me to come to: that Sandy Hook never happened, that it was a hoax. ๐ฑ
…Looking back on this memory in hindsight, Iโm glad I watched the video.
โ ๏ธ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐! โ ๏ธ
But watching this video helped me learn a valuable lesson early on in my life about how alluring conspiracy theories can be, how attractive they are on the surface, yet how hollow the cynicism lays underneath them. ๐
Thankfully, at the time I watched this video I had enough skepticism to get additional perspectives on the videoโs claims.
I quickly learned there was a TON of misinformation in the video. (For information on the video, you can refer to the Snopes article here: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sandy-hook-exposed/ )
๐ The father who went from crying to smiling? There could be any number of reasons why that happened. ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐โ ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐.
๐ That mother who was smiling in the muted video clip? If you got to hear the video clip unmuted, youโd quickly understand she was smiling because she was sharing positive memories about her daughter. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ .
๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐๐ โ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐กโ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ-๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฉ. ๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?!
We can use Merriam-Websterโs definition: โA theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.โ ๐
We can also use Britannicaโs definition: โAn attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small, powerful group.โ ๐
Letโs also add in Dictionary.comโs definition: โA theory that rejects the standard explanation for an event and instead credits a covert group or organization with carrying out a secret plot.โ ๐
The reason I wanted to give you all these definitions is thereโs also a conspiracy theory online that the CIA created the term โconspiracy theoryโ to silence people during the JFK assassination. This is False. ๐
(Source: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/03/16/did-the-cia-invent-the-term-conspiracy-theory/ )
Even more, thereโs a conspiracy theory that the source Iโve been citing above, Snopes, has a โleftist propaganda political agendaโ. This is again False. ๐
(Sources: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/jun/19/viral-image/no-factcheckorg-didnt-bust-snopescom/
https://www.allsides.com/news-source/snopes )
If youโre starting to notice a pattern, the problem is that ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ can be made into a conspiracy theory. The fact I’m even discussing it right now makes me susceptible to someone accusing me of being a โshillโ or a โsheepโ. ๐คทโโ๏ธ
If you share contrasting information with a conspiracy theorist, they can easily dismiss it as just being part of the conspiracy. They can claim every fact-checking source I cited above as โfake newsโ simply because it doesnโt fit with their worldview. โ
๐คฌ โ๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐! ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!โ ๐คฌ
Let me clarify: ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐% ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐! ๐ฏ
๐ I could tell you about Project SUNSHINE in 1956, where the United States Atomic Energy Commission wanted to measure the long-term effects of nuclear radiation on the body. The way they did this included collecting tissue from deceased childrenโs bodies without permission from grieving families.
๐ I could tell you about Prohibition in the 1920s, where the federal government pressured manufacturers to add poisonous substances to their alcohol to make it undrinkable. Unfortunately this did not stop people, and it is estimated thousands died from drinking this tainted alcohol.
๐ I could tell you about MKULTRA, a CIA-sponsored program which started in the 50s and ended in the 70s, where experiments were done on human test subjects including the use of LSD, hypnosis, and electric shocks to develop methods the government could use for future interrogations.
All of these happened! ๐ฏ
Itโs not that I donโt believe conspiracies have never happened or that I believe world governments have never done anything shady before. They have! And thereโs a lot of classified information we as the general public will never be aware of. ๐
Citing the incidents above, itโs very reasonable for a person to start feeling cynical towards the government or people in authority. They’re the ones we’re supposed to place our trust in, yet knowing these past wrongs makes it a lot harder to, right? ๐
The difference with my perspective is ๐โ๐ฆ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐-๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ. ๐โ๐ฆ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐ฎ
Itโs important to remember when we demonize โthe governmentโ weโre also referring to thousands of people, from the postal service to the armed forces to Congress, each with their own separate positions and functions, each with their own families and set of values, each of them living their own individual lives. ๐ช
Itโs this very problem of overgeneralizing I even have to remember myself! I’m guilty of it too! ๐โโ๏ธ
I’m aware I have a habit of criticizing what I often call โthe mediaโ. I need to continue to remind myself it’s not a singular entity, that it consists of thousands of news outlets and thousands of individual people with different intentions and agendas. ๐ฐ
It would be foolish of me to assume the negative actions of 1 or 2 journalists was a reflection of the entire field of journalism, right?! ๐
My point is: donโt let your obsession over a few bad apples spoil the entire bunch. Or as I always say: ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ. ๐ถ
The other day I watched the Netflix documentary โBehind the Curveโ about Flat Earthers, people who believe the world is flat and that this truth is being covered up by NASA. ๐
I think for many of my friends youโll be quick to laugh even hearing that such a community exists. But I actually did take a valuable lesson watching the film, and Iโll tell you whatโฆโฌ๏ธ
Sure, the Flat Earther arguments lack critical thinking. Sure, itโs very easy to disprove their claims with less than five minutes of research online. Funny enough, the Flat Earthers even disprove themselves after they conduct a science experiment in the documentary! ๐
But putting all that aside, there is one valuable lesson I took away from the film: ridicule of Flat Earthers is NOT a helpful solution! ๐ฏ
In fact, telling someone theyโre wrong can cause them to dig their feet deeper into their beliefs. Showing them contradictory evidence can strengthen their affinity for their beliefs. It is what’s known as the Backfire Effect. โ๏ธ
My point is: we need to apply this same understanding with the people around us. ๐
๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ.
It’s not to say their ideas don’t lack critical thinking or that these ideas don’t cause harm to others. They do. It’s to say, as the saying goes: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” You won’t change anyone’s mind by ridiculing them. ๐
Mick West says the same thing in his book โEscaping the Rabbit Holeโ. The former co-founder of Neversoft Entertainment, Mick first became introduced to conspiracy theories when he was studying aviation weather for his pilotโs license. ๐จโโโ
He was introduced to the Chemtrails conspiracy theory, the belief that condensation trails left by aircrafts are toxic chemicals being sprayed by the government to poison people. ๐ฑ
What initially started as a website he created to debunk the theory led him to debunking many more theories. As of today, Mick is the founder of Metabunk and has spent over 10 years debunking conspiracy theories. ๐ฒ
But thereโs a difference between Mick and many others who just want to prove conspiracy theorists wrong online. ๐
From his many interviews with current and “former” conspiracy theorists, he advocates for understanding and respectful communication. โค๏ธ
In his book โEscaping the Rabbit Holeโ, he argues weโre ALL susceptible to conspiracy theories. Like while I myself personally don’t believe in most conspiracies, even I still at times am prone to feeling cynical towards pharmaceutical companies, to give one example. ๐
๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐จ
๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐จ
๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐’๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ “๐๐๐๐๐๐” ๐๐. ๐จ
๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐’๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐จ
๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐จ
The unfortunate part is just that some individuals fell deeper down the rabbit hole than most of us ever did. ๐ณ๏ธ
So, Mick’s personal mission with his work is not about shaming conspiracy theorists but rather on helping them climb out of the rabbit hole their cynical minds have become stuck in. ๐โโโ
His biggest piece of advice: be respectful and understanding. Remember: it couldโve just as easily been you under the same circumstances. ๐ค
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ. โค๏ธ
Apart from our susceptibility to conspiracy theories, we all as human beings suffer from whatโs known as cognitive biases. They are patterns of thinking which psychologically distort how we view the world. ๐
Some of the most common biases include:
๐ง Negativity Bias. Weโre more likely to give attention to negativity than we do to positivity.
๐ง Confirmation Bias. Weโre more likely to believe information which reinforces our worldview and more easily dismiss information which goes against it.
๐ง Black-and-White (Dichotomous) Thinking. Weโre more likely to see the world in polar opposite extremes. Good versus Evil. Us versus Them.
๐ง Illusory pattern perception. Weโre more likely to see patterns among things which have no relation to each other. Itโs why in science thereโs the principle: โCorrelation does not mean causationโ.
But one of the biggest culprits, especially being illuminated now in our culture, is:
๐ง The Dunning-Kruger Effect. Weโre more likely to overestimate our ability at something weโre actually really bad at. The unintelligent individual is more likely to overestimate his intelligence, while the intelligent individual is more likely to underestimate his intelligence.
Or as philosopher Bertrand Russell put it back in 1933 as a response to the rise of Nazi Germany: โ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐.โ๐คฆโโโ
Again, we ALL suffer from these biases, some of us worse than others. They are not limited to conspiracy theorists, although they may be more greatly illuminated through their example. ๐ฃ๏ธ
But the reason Iโm sharing this all with you today is because during times of stress and anxiety, especially during these times of COVID-19, conspiracy theories are far more prevalent and far more likely to be embraced as truth. ๐
Conspiracy theories increased after 9/11. They increased after Sandy Hook. They increased after the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting. And they are now increasing during COVID-19. Iโm sure youโve already seen the 5G conspiracy being shared. ๐ก
More than ever, itโs going to be easy to fall into these cognitive traps so I want to remind us all to be extra mindful of this. ๐งโโโ
This is NOT a “conspiracy” problem; it’s a human problem, deeply rooted in cynicism, distrust, and paranoia. ๐จ
As Dale Carnegie reminds us: “๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.”
๐คฌ โ๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐! ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐!โ๐คฌ
The questions I challenge everyone to ask themselves:
๐ค Do you possess your beliefs? Or do your beliefs possess you?
๐ค Are you able to step outside your own ideology and understand your criticโs points of view?
๐ค Are you able to steelman your opponentโs arguments and understand their position thoroughly before dismissing them completely?
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐ข๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ค๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ. ๐
In addition, I challenge you:
๐ช To get sources from multiple points of view, including information that may go against your beliefs. Not all information is created equal.
๐ช Stay aware of your cognitive biases and genuinely seek to understand other people’s points of view. See if you can steelman their argument.
๐ช Give others who disagree with you the benefit of the doubt. Donโt automatically assume malicious intent. Perhaps you may learn something from them you didnโt know before.
This is not just a reminder for you all, but also for me! I need to hear these reminders at times too! Again, Iโm not immune to a lack of self-awareness. It’s an ongoing process! ๐โโ๏ธ
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER! โค๏ธ
.
Below, I am providing resources which have greatly helped me develop my critical thinking skills! โฌ๏ธ
๐๐๐๐๐
๐ โEscaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respectโ by Mick West – https://amzn.to/3hKPnNS
๐ “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts” by Carol Tavris & Elliott Aronson – https://amzn.to/2X7QFuj
๐ โHow to Think โ A Survival Guide for a World at Oddsโ by Alan Jacobs https://amzn.to/39DdBXr
๐ โThinking, Fast and Slowโ by Daniel Kahneman – https://amzn.to/30UV4lG
๐ โYou Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways Youโre Deluding Yourselfโ by David McRaney – https://amzn.to/3hLuQbV
๐ โThe Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Darkโ by Carl Sagan – https://amzn.to/3jR8Oq8
๐ โThe Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religionโ by Jonathan Haidt – https://amzn.to/2P2Ddna
.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ผ CrashCourse Navigating Digital Information โ A 10-episode series dedicated to teaching critical thinking skills for browsing the Internet. https://bit.ly/2EnmatQ
๐ผ CrashCourse Philosophy โ A 46-episode series dedicated to teaching philosophical ideas, which in turn practices your critical thinking skills. https://bit.ly/3faLlwH
๐ผ CrashCourse Media Literacy โ A 12-episode series dedicated to teaching the history and psychology of media. https://bit.ly/3f3YuYg
๐ A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis of Psychological Research on Conspiracy Beliefs: Field Characteristics, Measurement Instruments, and Associations with Personality Traits – https://bit.ly/30WLrCR
.
๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ผ Wisecrack โ What Makes REAL Science? – https://bit.ly/3hR3pxz
๐ผ Wisecrack – How Conspiracies Changed & The Decline of Expertise (Flat Earth, Anti-Vaxxers) – https://bit.ly/335qcl1
๐ผ Wisecrack – How Fake Science (Pseudoscience) Can Fool You! – https://bit.ly/330Puki
๐ผ Wisecrack – The Internet was a Mistake – https://bit.ly/39EfzqC
๐ผ SciShow โ The Science of Anti-Vaccination – https://bit.ly/2X6IQ8i
๐ผ SciShow Psych – Why Do So Many People Believe in Conspiracy Theories? – https://bit.ly/3gmdPEM
๐ผ Late Night with John Oliver – Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories – https://bit.ly/3fbTjWj
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