Category: Misinformation 101

Brains love conspiracy theories. Yes, even yours!! 

While some people may be more prone to conspiratorial thinking, everyone is susceptible. Conspiratorial thinking has existed for eons, across time and cultures (1,2,4). Falling for a conspiracy theory doesn’t make you foolish. In fact, it’s a side effect of survival mechanisms that the human brain has developed to keep us alive (1,2). 

Check out the rest of the post to learn more about why our brains are hardwired for conspiracy, and how you can help reason win out.

Be honest – what’s a conspiracy theory that you’ve fallen for? How did you get out of it? Let us know!

Ever seen a conversation like this?

And it keeps going… No matter what proof you bring, it’s never enough.

This is called moving the goalposts (1).

It happens when someone keeps changing what “counts” as proof. No matter how strong the evidence is, they ask for something new instead of engaging with what’s already there (2,3,4).

In real discussions, this can look like (3,5):

• Dismissing evidence without explaining why
• Asking for more and more proof
• Ignoring what was already shared

If you notice this happening, you can gently point it out: “Hey, it seems like the goal keeps changing. What kind of evidence would actually convince you?” (4).

That said, not every conversation will go somewhere. If someone isn’t open to changing their view, it’s okay to step away and save your energy (6,7).

Heard of the “manosphere”? It’s often used to refer to a collection of online communities and influencers who claim to promote men’s health and well being. It unfortunately rarely stops there.

Manosphere influencers will often rely on narrow and exaggerated definitions of masculinity. They will use anecdotes and negative experiences to degrade women. To them, the world must be seen through rigid “men”/”women” differences. 

What’s more, they spread harmful myths and create content meant to elicit a reaction out of you, whether you agree with them or not. 

Don’t be swayed by these manipulation tactics and read how these myths fall apart under scrutiny.

As always, do not feed the trolls!

A strawman argument happens when someone twists what you said into something easier to attack. So instead of responding to the real point, they respond to a distorted version of it (1,2).

Example:

• Person A: “We should reduce plastic waste.”
• Person B: “So you think we should ban all plastic and make life impossible?”

This tactic can take different forms, like exaggerating a point, oversimplifying it, or taking it out of context. It works because the new version is simpler, more extreme, and easier to reject. It can also make the original idea seem unreasonable, which can turn people against it and rally support for the person attacking it (1).

This is different from simply misunderstanding someone. We can all misinterpret things sometimes, especially in fast conversations. If you’re not sure you understood, it’s better to ask questions or ask the person to clarify their point before assuming (3).

If someone is using a strawman argument against you, here’s what you can say or do:
Clearly state “That’s not what I said” and restate your point clearly. Then ask them to respond to your actual argument (3,4).

Spot the distortion, and bring the conversation back to what was actually said.

That doesn’t mean we should ignore experts. In fact, relying on qualified experts is often helpful (2,4).

But here’s the key (4):

• Is this person actually an expert in this topic?
• Are they showing evidence, or just asking you to trust them?

If you catch this happening, ask: what evidence supports this claim, beyond who said it (8)?

Remember, “they said so” isn’t proof. It’s just a claim (2).