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So, what happened today?

Went for pints with my brother and he is full on reactionary. I'm not sure how to talk to him any more. We skirted around topics but it was obvious that I was not talking about some things. fudge.
 
Rorschach said:
Went for pints with my brother and he is full on reactionary. I'm not sure how to talk to him any more. We skirted around topics but it was obvious that I was not talking about some things. fudge.
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Reactionary in which way? Like your ideologies are very different now? You might be able to accept having different outlooks now, and learn from 'the other side'. I remember during Covid watching my close friend spiral into mistrust and conspiracy theories. The world and his business collapsing affected his mental health massively. You can't tell people they are wrong (in person friends) you have to listen and offer some solace, even if you don't believe it.
 
SpurMeUp said:
Reactionary in which way? Like your ideologies are very different now? You might be able to accept having different outlooks now, and learn from 'the other side'. I remember during Covid watching my close friend spiral into mistrust and conspiracy theories. The world and his business collapsing affected his mental health massively. You can't tell people they are wrong (in person friends) you have to listen and offer some solace, even if you don't believe it.
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Reactionary in the classic dictionary definition. We would always have had differnt political views, he is right leaning, but a long layoff during covid sent him all the way down the rabbit hole. He has gone more or less the same direction as the friend you mention, reguritating consipracy theories and easily disprovable statements. There is no reasonable debate any more, no exchange of arguments on a topic, just a stream of fiction and non sequitors that bear no relation to reality most of the time. So I have a certain set of topics I won't engage with him on though they occasionally get interjected into the conversation, as happend last night.
 
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Rorschach said:
Reactionary in the classic dictionary definition. We would always have had differnt political views, he is right leaning, but a long layoff during covid sent him all the way down the rabbit hole. He has gone more or less the same direction as the friend you mention, reguritating consipracy theories and easily disprovable statements. There is no reasonable debate any more, no exchange of arguments on a topic, just a stream of fiction and non sequitors that bear no relation to reality most of the time. So I have a certain set of topics I won't engage with him on though they occasionally get interjected into the conversation, as happend last night.
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For what it’s worth my pal did come out of it a little. And while the conspiracy beliefs are there in the background he’s put them to one side for now. I think smoking volumes of weed has something to do with it too. It opens your mind and gives you fresh outlooks but that can slip too far the other way.

I’d not try to ‘bring him round’ just pretend you get it, and from there maybe you can help. No doubt there are various forces at work and it’s interesting to consider alternative view points. At some point you might be able to advise him and get him to see he’s disappearing into a dark hole. The other side of it is your bros life and if he’s engaged or frustrated. Never easy to help your family tho you’re often too close to help.
 
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SpurMeUp said:
Reactionary in which way? Like your ideologies are very different now? You might be able to accept having different outlooks now, and learn from 'the other side'. I remember during Covid watching my close friend spiral into mistrust and conspiracy theories. The world and his business collapsing affected his mental health massively. You can't tell people they are wrong (in person friends) you have to listen and offer some solace, even if you don't believe it.
Click to expand...

Rorschach said:
Reactionary in the classic dictionary definition. We would always have had differnt political views, he is right leaning, but a long layoff during covid sent him all the way down the rabbit hole. He has gone more or less the same direction as the friend you mention, reguritating consipracy theories and easily disprovable statements. There is no reasonable debate any more, no exchange of arguments on a topic, just a stream of fiction and non sequitors that bear no relation to reality most of the time. So I have a certain set of topics I won't engage with him on though they occasionally get interjected into the conversation, as happend last night.
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I'm beginning to conclude that the people that fall into these rabbit holes, negative/alarmist thought patterns and conspiracy arcades are on a foundation level beset with trust issues. More than likely, not from adulthood but during their upbringing and formative years.

The problem nowadays is the ability to poke and stoke that is easy. To make like-minded connections is easy. The amount of time COVID gave people, made it easy. What's not easy is to rid yourself of it.

Social media will give you no answers, no escape...quite the opposite. It's another one of the (sadly) easy money making genres...playing on people's fears, just feed them justification for all they're thinking, and then give them more, they'll lap it up.

@Rorschach ...it's really hard, hard to know where to start, or a way in...it can be exhausting and always feels like a conversation could easily turn to the destruction of a relationship. The force is strong for these people, it runs so deep.
 
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ricky2tricky4city said:
I'm beginning to conclude that the people that fall into these rabbit holes, negative/alarmist thought patterns and conspiracy arcades are on a foundation level beset with trust issues. More than likely, not from adulthood but during their upbringing and formative years.

The problem nowadays is the ability to poke and stoke that is easy. To make like-minded connections is easy. The amount of time COVID gave people, made it easy. What's not easy is to rid yourself of it.

Social media will give you no answers, no escape...quite the opposite. It's another one of the (sadly) easy money making genres...playing on people's fears, just feed them justification for all they're thinking, and then give them more, they'll lap it up.

@Rorschach ...it's really hard, hard to know where to start, or a way in...it can be exhausting and always feels like a conversation could easily turn to the destruction of a relationship. The force is strong for these people, it runs so deep.
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We are close, but more than once things have decended into an argument. And often not because of the subject matter but because I know he is arguing with me in bad faith. I can see through it, and he knows I can but he still persists. So anyway to the save the relationship I have just decided that there are topics that are not to be discussed. This is a growing list but better than the alternative. I couldn't tell you if it is right approach or not.
 
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