Etiquette



DP Etiquette

First rule: Don't be a jackass.

Other rules: Do not attack or insult people you disagree with. Engage with facts, logic and beliefs. Out of respect for others, please provide some sources for the facts and truths you rely on if you are asked for that. If emotion is getting out of hand, get it back in hand. To limit dehumanizing people, don't call people or whole groups of people disrespectful names, e.g., stupid, dumb or liar. Insulting people is counterproductive to rational discussion. Insult makes people angry and defensive. All points of view are welcome, right, center, left and elsewhere. Just disagree, but don't be belligerent or reject inconvenient facts, truths or defensible reasoning.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

The “Beautiful” Ugliness of Conspiracy Theories

 



I’m wondering/thinking that Conspiracy Theories (CTs) are a lot like Essentially Contested Concepts (ECCs).  Let me explain.  But first a definition.  Here’s one facet of an ECC, according to Wikipedia:

An ECC involves widespread agreement on a concept (e.g., "fairness"), but not on the best realization thereof.[5] They are "concepts the proper use of which inevitably involves endless disputes about their proper uses on the part of their users",[6] and these disputes "cannot be settled by appeal to empirical evidence, linguistic usage, or the canons of logic alone".[7]

(bold emphasis mine)

So, while ECCs are not "objectively provable" (some examples might be biblical or other holy book claims, chocolate ice-cream is better than vanilla, or any other subjective type belief), neither are almost all CTs "objectively provable."  For example, how do you prove that Hillary Clinton didn’t run a child porn ring in the back of a pizza parlor (see Pizzagate), or that there are many Democrats who actually eat children, etc?).  In that way, ECCs and CTs share the same predicament.  IOW, you can’t prove their negative (i.e., that they didn’t happen/aren’t true).  And that’s their ugly “beauty”...  you can’t prove them false.  

(Can I get a nee-ner nee-ner neeee-ner here?) 😉

While you may claim to "know" Conspiracy Theory “X” is not true, some others don’t see it that same way.  They honestly believe CT “X” is true, whether or not you try to deny it or try to convince them otherwise.  CT “X” is subjectively “real” (enough) to them. Now what?  Yeah, now what??

CTs are often the spawn of Dark Free Speech (DFS).  All it takes is a willing participant (someone to believe it) for a CT to take off and perpetuate itself, usually through social media.  Yes, it’s all connected.  Oh what a tangled web we humans weave. 

Question: So, how would you go about proving something (some CT) didn’t happen?  What is the magical formula/answer to solving this problem?

Some suggestions:

  • Don’t be a fool  Just give up, as there is no magical formula/answer to convincing conspiracy theorists. 
  • Try to find some contrary proof (good luck with finding something that’s not there)! 
  • Keep pounding away at them with your “proof” until they “snap out of it.” 
  • Offer to pay for psychiatric help for them. 😁
  • Other (you tell me)!

Thanks for posting and recommending!  I'm baaaaaack!

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