How to Convince a Conspiracy Theorist

If you hear people talk about the Earth being flat, the moon landing being fake, or aircrafts spewing toxic contrails (“chemtrails”), you’d be forgiven for walking away from them. After all, there are many other productive and enjoyable things you could be doing with your time.

A discussion with a conspiracy theorist isn’t always wasted energy though. For one thing, not all conspiracy theories are equal, and some actually turn out to be true in hindsight. Fears around mass surveillance (e.g. NSA disclosures) and unethical government experimentation programs (e.g. MKUltra or the Tuskegee experiment) have been proven true at various times through history.

Of course, just because some wild conspiracies are grounded in reality doesn’t mean we should take all beliefs seriously. Many widely held conspiracy theories are — and always will be — completely bananas. It’s important to challenge them effectively too, since they can be highly consequential for issues such as societal trust, public health, and civic integrity.

The good news is that conspiracy beliefs may not be as concrete and difficult to break as many of us believe. In fact, one of the most common justifications for walking away from conspiracy theorists — “you’ll never talk sense into them” — may be entirely wrong.