Skeptic Project

Okay, seriously guys, I need some real advice here.

My dad is one huge fucking Conspiracy theorist. You name it, he probably has looked it up and/or supports it.

He'd rather show me conspiracy stuff or talk to me about it than about my life, family, etc.

You know how logical fallacies are abundant in CT's, right? Goddamn, does he employ them in his day to day life, especially in his talks with me.

I'm getting fed up with this, but I'm at my wit's end.

I really would appreciate some advice, tips, ANYTHING to make the final 3 years of my life living with him as smooth as possible.

What if he refuses to admit he's wrong every time he is?

What if he only tries to talk to me only when he's found some new CT bullshit?

What if the amount of logical fallacy FAIL becomes so great in his speech that it becomes nigh impossible to communicate with him?

@ CS
Your explanation just seems a little... lacking.

Do really good in school so you can get a good job and get the fuck out.

I'm going to have to second Matt's stroking motion

Part of the reason I don't like to give advice is because everyone's different. The people I tried to change won't. However, people at this website did convince me to change. Therefore, it is possible.

What would be naive is to believe you can change someone who has repeatedly shown that he won't. I suppose all you can do is try and see what happens. I think you'll know when it's time to give up. That's what happened for me.

Since you're still in high school, you could try talking to the school counselor. In the end, this is going to be more about you than your father. That is, you're going to learn that while people can change, it's hard to coerce them into it. You could try reading about the forms of power... that might help.

http://www.edelpage.the-mooseboy.com/7000/Bases_of_power.html

You can't make someone stop believing in something they want to or need to believe in. Even if its totally stupid and makes them look like a lunatic. Ben comes to mind.

Hi Ben!

Read some basic books on persuasion, won't hurt.

You have to decide which route you wanna go - attacking his position straight on, taking the good feeling away from him and making him question his argument so that this doesn't happen again. That's the usual style of debate.

Second route, not making him feel bad about the "truth", but presenting it in a way, where is able to accept it without looking stupid - you might make a religious fundamentalist a moderate, then a gnostic and finally an atheist this way, but if they're to deep in it, starting as an atheist probably won't help, unless they don't have much confidence in what they're saying.

The usual pattern is pretty easy:
1) Identify the primary want behind their argument (Power? Security? What is it?)
2) Find a similar, but less stupid way that fits their need (e.g., present "real" conspiracies and ways media f*ck with you)
3) "Sell" them the new argument over the old one (e.g., most CTs are so dumb, they only take credibility away from the real ones)
4) Create a pattern for them to use that makes them stick (e.g., link CTs with tinfoil idiots and "real" conspiracies with journalists / courageous whistleblowers)

If you're good, you can do all four in a single story. Read some old propaganda copywriting for examples, you won't find better material.

What else should we breathe? Happy thought energy?

On a related note, one should only argue with someone who

1. Knows how to reason
2. Is not lying
3. Knows the topic very well

I doubt your dad is lying, but the other two are red flags. He may know how to reason but doesn't know the topic very well. However, someone who truly knows how to reason would be skeptical and look at all of the information. That leads into the other red flag suggesting he may not know how to reason.

If he can't reason, then hand him a book on critical thinking and step back.

If he doesn't know the CT topics very well, then provide the opposing evidence and step back.

I tend to think that anyone who believes in CTs of such magnitude don't know how to reason and don't know the topics very well.

One way this could work is if you write a very heart-felt letter to your dad about how much you love him and want the best for him. Then, go into how you believe he could benefit from reading the attached book on critical thinking.

Going the emotional route may persuade him to take your recommendation seriously.