this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2024
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science
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just science related topics. please contribute
note: clickbait sources/headlines aren't liked generally. I've posted crap sources and later deleted or edit to improve after complaints. whoops, sry
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If, big if, the people peddling the pseudoscience are engaging in good faith.
If you treat everyone you engage with as though they're not engaging in good faith... you're not engaging in good faith.
You're not going to convince people who engage in bad faith anyways, so what's the harm in doing what you can to empathize with those who are willing to listen? Are you afraid you're going to be convinced of the wrong thing?
Because its a waste of energy.
It's a waste of energy to empathize with people? Science apparently disagrees.
No, it's a waste of energy to try to change the stance of people who need years of therapy to undo the brainwashing that led them to believe such garbage.
I know a professor who was kind to a crackpot. Talked to him a bunch, explaind stuff, corrected him where he was wrong. Should not have done that... The crackpot writes a crazy book with just made up shit, and thanking the professor for helping with the book in the book for everyone to see.
I think the premise of the article is generally true, but it can go sideways.