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TheVoraciousObserver comments on Six Ways To Get Along With People Who Are Totally Wrong* - Less Wrong Discussion
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Here is my favorite method -
Situation: Someone says something totally cuckoo crazy but they are someone I have to cooperate with in order to complete a task or who I have to maintain a good social relationship because we share friends or because they are otherwise cool. Also, the person is not convincible (I hang with hippies, this happens a lot).
Solution: a conspiratory shrug followed by "ehh... who can say, really" or "eh... the world is a strange place" or, if the statement is totally super crazy, just "ehh..."
Examples:
"I switched to a gluten free diet and I think my energy centers really cleared up!" shrug "ehh... the world is a strange place"
"Why do people say its strange that I named my baby Glutenball? They just don't understand how gluten symbolizes the glue that holds us all together!" shrug "ehh... who can say really?"
"9/11 was a conspiracy by the gluten lobby!" shrug "ehh..."
I agree, and I think this is probably the most effective method, and is generally what "polite" behavior is supposed to be. In etiquette it is considered poor manners to simply tell people, straight to their face, that they are mistaken unless they specifically asked for an honest opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politeness#Techniques_to_show_politeness
I suspect politeness is the most effective method to deal with 'people who are totally wrong' because it is very rare to actually convince someone else they are wrong. It is much easier for people to change their own minds, then have an outsider change it for them.