Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories that are Killing Us
- Prevention: Immunize people before they fall into the conspiracy rabbithole
- Arm yourself with knowledge: Prepare to be blindsided
- Personal relationships will guide people out of the conspiracy rabbithole
- The key to all actions is empathy, the mindful empathy which is willing to listen but sets boundaries
- Listen, then ask the right questions
- Don’t fall down the rabbithole yourself!
- Search for the conspiracist’s deeper motives
- Recognize underlying needs and find other ways to meet them.
- Avoid challenging the conspiracist’s core underlying beliefs, at least initially
- Keep it focused on helping your friend or loved one
- Take the time to establish real-world activities beyond the conspiracy
- After the bond builds, opportunities will arise in which to undermine some of their conspiracism with factuality, but do it gradually and sensitively
- Over time, your relationship with the person will become more important to them and they may become more open to your perspective
- Keep multiplying. As they emerge from the rabbithole, help them reconnect with their personal world, working to restore ruptured relationships
- Help them to heal. This must be the abiding principle behind each step