Dealing with conspiracy theorists

[EricP]

I'm getting really frustrated with this one man I work with. He is a conspiracy theorist who feels the need to "open my eyes to what's really going on," as he claims. He believes that the September 11 terrorist attacks were "an inside job", that the U.N. is secretly dabbling in occult black magic, that the Freemasons and the Council on Foreign Relations control the world, that no plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, and countless other nonsensical theories.

The worst part, though, is that he is so smug and condescending, assuring me that I need to do my research and stop being naive. I'm constantly told that I'll "come around" and "see the light". Whenever I ask him for reputable evidence to back up any of his claims, I get a link to a google video or some blog written by some crackpot. He laughs when I ask for an article from a peer-reviewed journal or some equivalent scholarly source. "As if any of these universities or journals would print the truth when they're all in on it, too!" he replies.

What annoys me the most is that he is indoctrinating the students here (I'm working at a Job Corps dormitory for the summer). Anyway, I basically just needed to vent my frustrations!

Have any of you had to deal with this kind of person? How did you do it?

[manolia]

that the U.N. is secretly dabbling in occult black magic, that the Freemasons and the Council on Foreign Relations control the world

How come i didn't think of this one? :lol:

Tell him to watch the movie with Mel Gibson..
After all the truth is out there...*X-files music theme*

[EricP]

How come i didn't think of this one? :lol:

Tell him to watch the movie with Mel Gibson..
After all the truth is out there...*X-files music theme*

I doubt he would watch it because Mel Gibson is a Catholic and he sees the Pope as one of the leaders of the "New World Order". :lol: :alien:

[papayahed]

HaHa, That's great. Does he think the moon landing was a hoax too? (cause it was!!)

I worked with a guy with like that only he wasn't as bad. His biggest concern was The Grateful Dead and why I didn't worship them like he did, in second place were the conspiracy theories and I was niave, man.

I don't have any advice because my working relationship with that guy went from pretty ok to not so great to pretty ok then finally it went straight down the crapper.

[sprinks]

I love conspiracy theories!! :D. Although often I'm the one going on about them :p. Thus I can't really help you sorry. He sounds rather annoying, because he doesn't seem to be open to debate and other opinions; whereas I am. It irritates me when people just tell you something and can't back it up with good proof, and they are just so insistent on them being right and you wrong. I'll seriously discuss conspiracies if I have a credible source, if not I just talk about the random crazy ones, simply for the fun of it.

Perhaps just tell him the aliens got to his brain and are experimenting on him with new technologies, so everything he's seen and heard is really just in his mind.... :p

[Nightshade]

I doubt he would watch it because Mel Gibson is a Catholic and he sees the Pope as one of the leaders of the "New World Order". :lol: :alien:

wouldnt he pope be partof the old world order?

And doesnt he know that they will be out to get him if he keeps blabbing the truth they want hidden?
You could come around and create your own elaborate conspiracy that rocks the foundations of his so dramatically he has to shut up because you become the one with all the facts?

[Whifflingpin]

Conspiracy theories based on Freemasons, Knights Templar, The Companions of the Rosy Hours etc should be laughed at, because even if true, they are, by definition unprovable and irrelevant.

I like, however, conspiracy theories based on the question "cui bono?"
Consider an event like 9/11 - decide who benefited from it then and since - then you have the perpetrator(s).

[Shalot]

Conspiracy theories based on Freemasons, Knights Templar, The Companions of the Rosy Hours etc should be laughed at, because even if true, they are, by definition unprovable and irrelevant.

I like, however, conspiracy theories based on the question "cui bono?"
Consider an event like 9/11 - decide who benefited from it then and since - then you have the perpetrator(s).

The answer to the 9/11 conspiracy is the turd that was left in the urinal in South Park. Ask Eric, he'll tell ya.

[Lily Adams]

I'll tell you a REAL conspiracy!!!

It's those GLORPS and PINKBOYS out to get my SLACK!!!! Praise "Bob"!!!! July 5th is NEAR!




Anyways, I'm sorry about that. Don't know what to tell ya. Must be terribly frustrating. Just ignore him, I guess. There are far more real, important things to worry about. Too bad he doesn't realize that.





But the pinkboy conspiracy is real. Trust me.