When having coffee with your family, you are offered energized water. On Twitter you discuss with vaccination opponents. The WhatsApp kitagroup discusses zodiac signs, the pharmacy sells you globules, the neighbor proselytizes for her guru, and the news is once again about demonstrations by right-wing extremists.
Everywhere you encounter conspiracy myths, superstition, esotericism, pseudoscience and Co. and you want to respond to them - while remaining as factual as possible, clarify your position, provide facts, but also not unnecessarily provoke or overload. In addition, you do not want to hurt your counterpart, but to encourage him to rethink. But how do you do that?
If you are asking yourself this question, read "Fact and Prejudice". Understand why we are driven by emotions and most information bounces off us. Read experiences and tips from interviews with professional (science) communicators. Then follow different people through their own rethinking processes: What convinces an alternative medicine practitioner to leave non-evidence-based medicine behind? What was the deciding factor for a former vaccination opponent to have her children vaccinated after all? What helps members of appropriative organizations to get out? What moves a celebrated medium to break away from esotericism?
This book is for anyone who worries about or doesn't know how to communicate with people who have irrational worldviews - whether it's with family, friends, anonymously on the Internet, or at work. The authors give concrete tips on discussions and situations and also help to decide when it is important to engage and when it is better to withdraw.
Author(s): Holm Gero Hümmler, Ulrike Schiesser
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 240
City: Berlin
Foreword
About the Interview Partners
Contents
List of Figures
Part I: Basics
1: Introduction
References
2: Why Do They Believe This? And Why Might We Believe Something Equally Nonsensical?
2.1 Emotions Determine Cognitive Processes, Affect Heuristics
2.2 Errors in Our Perception
2.3 Error in Memory
2.4 Fast Thinking/Slow Thinking
2.5 Cognitive Biases
2.6 Judgment Heuristics: Pigeonhole Thinking
2.7 Cognitive Dissonance
2.8 Anecdotal Evidence
2.9 Peer Pressure
2.10 Social Framework
References
3: Transformation Processes
3.1 From “Alternative Medicine” to Medicine
A Book Turns Out Quite Differently Than Expected
At Some Point it Became Too Strange
Driven to Research in Comment Battles
Why Is What I Do Forbidden?
Never Really Felt Comfortable
3.2 Getting Out of the Conspiracy Swamp
Put off by the Scene
Converted by His Own Scientific Curiosity
3.3 Losing My Religion
Why Don’t Friends Tolerate It?
The Others Are Happy Too
The Fear of One’s Own Sainthood
3.4 The Futile Search for the Paranormal
New Answers to Old Questions
A Single Book as an Eye Opener
Breakdown and a New Sense of Happiness
3.5 A Sobering Interim Conclusion
References
4: Basic Strategies
4.1 Arguing Confrontationally or Sympathetically?
4.2 Actively Present Your Own Arguments or Reactively Refute Those of the Other Side?
4.3 Clarify the Facts or Evaluate Morally?
4.4 Discussing on the Factual or on a Meta Level?
4.5 Presenting Arguments as Statements or Asking Questions?
4.6 Arguing Soberly or Emotionally?
References
5: With Whom Do You Discuss and for What Purpose?
References
Part II: Typical Discussion Situations
6: Many Things Are Different on the Internet
6.1 Discussions with Strangers in Social Media or Comment Columns
6.2 Public Comments on Your Own Posts
The Curious Person
The Believer
The Troll
The Bullshitter and the Tactical Liar
The Transforming Person
6.3 Discussion with Acquaintances on Social Media
6.4 Direct Online Communication with Acquaintances on Private Channels
6.5 Dealing with Hate and Threats
References
7: Discussions in the Family
7.1 Tips for the Conversation
7.2 Conversation Attitudes
7.3 Conflicts in the Partnership
References
8: Children and Adolescents
8.1 Problem Areas
Offers That Aim to Reach Children and Adolescents as a Target Group
Children as Direct Victims
8.2 Tips for Parents in Custody Conflicts
8.3 Informing Authorities
8.4 Tips for Social and Educational Workers
References
9: Business Life and Professional Training
9.1 Problem Areas that Can Occur
9.2 Being Affected as a Colleague
9.3 Responsibility as Company Management
References
10: Health Care and Social System
10.1 The Medical Field
10.2 Psychology, Psychotherapy, Counseling, Coaching
10.3 Social and Youth Work
References
Part III: Practical Tips
11: Sentences You Hear Again and Again
11.1 He Who Heals Is Right
11.2 Take Something Natural First!
11.3 Why Don’t You Try It, It Won’t Do Any Harm?
11.4 Quantum Physics Has Shown …
11.5 Science Is Also Only a Belief
11.6 The Scientists Are All Corrupt
11.7 Science Is Cold and Unromantic
11.8 Prove to Me that It Is Not So!
11.9 Just Because You Do Not Understand Why It Works …
11.10 The Truth Lies in the Middle
11.11 There Is More Between Heaven and Earth than Your Science Can Dream of
References
12: Practical Tips
12.1 Have Realistic Expectations!
12.2 Do Not Let Yourself Be Demotivated!
12.3 Have the Courage to Object!
12.4 Have the Courage to Reconcile!
12.5 Do Not Assume that Your Counterpart Lives in the Same World … Especially Not with Conspiracy Believers!
12.6 Don’t Get Caught Up in Details!
12.7 You Are Not Alone!
12.8 People Are Allowed to Think Differently!
Appendixes
Appendix A: Conclusion
Holm
Ulrike
Appendix B: Helpful Sources of Information
Appendix C: On Esotericism, Fringe Science and General Skeptical Topics
C.1 The GWUP, the Skeptical Center, the GWUP Blog and the Skeptiker
C.2 Deutscher Konsumentenbund
C.3 maiLab
C.4 Psiram and Sonnenstaatland
C.5 Scienceblogs and Scilogs
C.6 Personal Projects
Appendix D: On Alternative Medicine
D.1 The INH, Homöopedia and Susannchen
D.2 Edzard Ernst
D.3 Cochrane and Medizin Transparent
D.4 MedWatch and IGeL-Monitor
D.5 Websites of Public Authorities
Appendix E: On Conspiracy Myths and Fake News
E.1 Mimikama
E.2 Correctiv and ARD Faktenfinder
E.3 Volksverpetzer
E.4 Hoaxilla
E.5 Snopes
E.6 Metabunk
Appendix F: On Religious Questions
F.1 State-Funded Counseling Centers in the German-Speaking Countries
F.2 Church-Run Counseling Centers
