Six rules for responding to bad ideas

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SciManDan has put up a video which everyone trying to debunk bad ideas should watch. Nominally he’s talking about Flat Earthers. A lot of his videos are on that subject; a friend of mine likes to watch them, so I watch them too. Really, though, the six rules he offers don’t apply just to answering people who think the world is flat. They apply to any bad ideas you’re trying to knock down: socialism, Trumpism, “greedflation” theory, Moon landing hoax claims, whatever.

Watch the video, but I’ll quote his six rules here, substituting “[bad idea]” for “flat earth” to show the generality.

  1. Do not misrepresent [bad idea] arguments. This should be obvious, but it’s tempting to respond to a caricature rather than the argument your opponent is making.

  2. Don’t just mock without explaining. Mockery never convinces anyone they’re wrong.

  3. Don’t pretend you know everything. You often won’t have an immediate answer to a bizarre theory. You may have to research the assertions being made. Admit it. It doesn’t make you weak.

  4. Don’t assume it’s all about conspiracy. Sometimes it’s too easy to say “conspiracy theory.” The people you’re arguing with may not even have a clear idea of how their theory fits with the generally accepted facts.

  5. Don’t push people deeper in. People seldom change their minds all at once on important issues. If they start to show doubts, don’t denounce them as hypocrites without a good reason. Allow them an exit path.

  6. Do not forget about the fence sitters. When you answer someone in a public forum, others will see your response. You may be able to get them to think twice, even if the person you’re addressing is immovable. Put your response in terms that will encourage them to question, not to dismiss you as an enemy.

Maybe I should add: Don’t let bots make your decisions for you. YouTube has stuck a notice on this video, saying “Flat Earth is an archaic and scientifically disproven conception…” That’s the whole point of the video! YouTube’s bots can’t tell whether a video is supporting or opposing the hypothesis, so they just slap the warning on every video that talks about it.

Other than that, I’ll just say to watch the video.