Having a conversation takes two people but sometimes it can be frustrating when the other person doesn't want to hear facts. Information is more easily accessible than any other time in history but there is a lot of misinformation and B.S. out there. Trying to have a conversation with someone who will not listen, due to something they read on the internet, can be frustrating.
A new report from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute looked at the 200 most popular cancer treatment articles on social media. Out of all of them, one-third of them contained provable “misinformation”…and, of that, seventy-five percent of that bad info was “potentially harmful.” So how do you talk to someone who is stuck on believing bad information, even when it is verifiably not true? Experts recommend these strategies for having those tough conversations.
Stay calm! Getting angry is going to be a waste of energy. You will only come off like a jerk if you are mocking them and throwing data around.
Start with a topic you two can agree on first. Finding some common ground can help the conversation get started.
Think about the "big picture." Don't get stuck in trying to give all the details. Credible info can be belittling if you are throwing it at the other person. Try taking it slow. You can even try pointing out tricks used by people who spin misinformation.
It is not easy to change someone's point of view and they are not going to do it overnight. Give them a pathway to some solid information. Hopefully, they will use it and be open to seeing a different perspective, eventually.
People are stubborn so it is very possible that they might think you are full of crap. Either way, at least you tried because there is nothing wrong with growing and personal enlightenment.
Read the full article at Men’s Health