6.
Q: What questions did you ask or what was the process of deradicalization? I’m interested in doing the same.
A: I was also an edgy atheist who constantly mocked and picked apart religious arguments and beliefs, so, at one point, I had to ask myself, “Do I apply the same level of scrutiny to my own beliefs that I do to the people who I’m always mocking and criticizing for being gullible and naïve?”
Occam’s Razor is another good rule to follow. Is it more likely that thousands of unconnected random government employees actually managed to pull off a coordinated operation without a single person messing up or leaking any information, or did some pissed-off extremists just get really lucky due to the government’s neglect?
Another one is just recognizing common tactics that groupthink organizations use. Are our enemies both incompetent and inferior, as well as powerful and controlling the world? Has our side never done anything wrong or made any mistakes, and if they have, is it somehow okay when we do it? Am I refuting and disproving the arguments against my side rather than just ignoring them? Have I actually looked into these arguments myself, or am I just agreeing with something that sounds good and reinforces my worldview?
The world is a scary place, and believing in conspiracies gives you a sense of feeling like things are under control, even if the people allegedly in charge are evil. At least then it makes sense when bad things happen. But no one is in control. No one has all of the correct information. We’re all just making shit up as we go along. Life is random, and shit just happens sometimes, and the universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.
The fictional universe created by conspiracy theorists can be very interesting and entertaining, but you know what else is? The actual universe. There’s so much fascinating stuff in the world that we actually have evidence for and technology based on, and we’re constantly making tiny leaps of progress toward a more complete picture of how the universe functions and our place in it. You don’t need to make shit up about the world for it to be interesting. There’s already so much we don’t know.
Be motivated by your ignorance to find the truth rather than ashamed of not already knowing the answer.
