I'm concerned about the damage these people can do because of their beliefs
It was a rhetorical question, my friend. If you truly want to influence a person’s beliefs, you need to carefully consider the language you are using and how you frame your argument, among other things. By using language such as “Q Anon is a Psyop. Please disregard any Q posts”, you have completely alienated your audience and put them on the defensive. Of course you know that most arguments on the internet/social media turn into pissing matches, and even if someone wins the argument, minds and opinions are rarely changed.
Use inclusive language. Demonstrate common ground between you and your adversary. In fact stop thinking about them as an adversary, but rather as a human being that you deeply care for. If you don’t give a shit about them, then at least make an attempt to. Also, stop thinking about it in terms of a debate or an argument. Instead, think of it as the two of you trying to find a mutual solution to a problem that both of you face. And above all, be open to new information. You have to carefully consider your opponent’s viewpoint, even if you think Qanon is bullshit and a psyop and you’ve been over this ground a hundred times before. The only obstacle to finding the truth is the assumption that you already have it.
I know, this is snowflake tier shit, but it’s the world we live in brother. This nation is deeply divided, and we have lost the ability to find common ground and to have healthy discussions about how to overcome our mutual problems. Instead, our discussion have devolved into hate-filled shouting matches where each side tries to shove their viewpoint down the other’s throat.
We either find common ground and find a way to reconcile the people of this nation (and the world), or this turns into a bloody civil war. We are perilously close to the precipice...
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