They are citing ONS figures of excess deaths as proof the vaccines are killing people. I tried to explain that not being able to get a doctor’s appointment, staying home and getting fat, etc explain the figures (official sources have said it too) but they said it’s “gaslighting” and then said their family doctor wouldn’t get the vaccine.
You can’t logic someone out of something they didn’t logic themselves into, and they definitely got emotionally attached to antivax before they found “statistics” to back shit up.
This is the answer.
You can’t reason someone out of an unreasonable position.
The only response is to ask them what evidence they would require to change their position.
They’ll inevitably reveal that their assertions are merely beliefs because it’s not practically possible to prove nor disprove them.
A lot of people are saying cut them off, but I have a family member who was into the anti-vax conspiracy theories and kinda still is, but it’s much less of a focus now and is pretty obviously just being carried forward by cognitive dissonance at this point. There will never be total victory, but there can be a reasonable truce.
What I’d suggest is the most counter-intuitive strategy - show genuine interest. Say “Ok, I want to know more, but I need you to be specific. Tell me what your theory is and what the evidence is, I’ll take my time looking at it, and respond in detail.”
Keep in mind, they probably won’t pay attention to whatever your respond with. That’s ok. The response isn’t the point, pinning them down on what they think is. So often these things are purely emotional, and forcing them into a logical framework will make them do the work for you. As for the response, odds are it’s some combination of cherry-picked data and spurious correlations, if not outright made up facts. Think of alternate explanations for what they’re showing you that are more plausible than a vaccine killing people. And remember that if the vaccine really was killing people, it would be really obvious, not something we need look deep into the matrix to find.
My sister once tried to come at me with the 5g antenna vaccine thing.
“Do you have a source? That sounds like fox news.”
She spent almost an hour on her phone trying to find something credible and then never brought it up again.
I’ve been waiting for over a year now for my dad to send me his source for “the new information that’s come out about the vaccines” when he asked me if I regretted getting it yet…
Wow, wasn’t expecting a reasonable and emotionally grounded response as one of the top comments.
Keep up the good work my dude.
You’re not going to satisfy unmet emotional needs with logical arguments.
So often these things are purely emotional, and forcing them into a logical framework will make them do the work for you.
This is a good point. While I was recruiting, they used to say that people make decisions based on emotion and then later go back and try to use logic to explain why they did it.
I have been also suggesting to these people I meet in the real world that it’s probably the micro-plastics that are causing the rise in deaths/autism/whatever bullshit they say. I’m trying to get them to focus on more environmental stuff and blaming companies.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My mom said basically the same thing, putting a date of 2 years on anyone who got the vaccine. Here we are way past that mark.
She’s still a lunatic, and I’ve been low contact with her for months now.
Oh my god I met a few of those people. Every single person that died they’d say it was the vaccine. Every time a headline about a celebrity that dies “yeah they SAY it was cancer, but they took the vaccine only 6 months ago, know what im saying? Open your eyes!”
Like mate, people aren’t just going to stop dying.
I generally reframe it from a perspective even they think they understand: Money.
Governments want their money. Less Population = Less Taxes for them to take, ergo, no government is trying to lower their population. And do they, the audience, think that the government is willing to have less money?
I don’t think so!
Maybe not the answer you’re looking for, but I have an uncle like that.
I suggest going no contact if you can.
Reason being, they don’t care about facts, nothing you say will convince them.
You just stop talking to them entirely. Sorry.
Tell them that’s completely true, and that if they keeps spreading the truth the black vans will come for them, they know too much.
The birds have already heard the rumors, and the clock is ticking. They better do something and shut up before they end up in “the facility”.
Disengage and choose your family
Don’t bother. Anything bad you say will be dismissed as a ‘smear’ campaign against that person because ‘they’ (big pharma, the millions of scientists who are all in on “it”) don’t want you to know and they’ll just shut off against you. Just take a step back from the dolt.
deleted by creator
Ask for the comparison in excess deaths comparison of vaccinated versus unvaccinated.
It’s been three years, where are all the bodies? Where are the people crying out for their lost loved ones?
Oh that’s right, the ones who died, died of disease and you can talk to their families online and learn about what happened.
What’s the best way to respond to a family member who says the COVID vaccines are being used to depopulate?
“You are a fucking idiot” usually does the job.
“That is a fucking idiotic idea.”
Attacks the idea, not the person. Probably will be the same result, because they probably were a fucking idiot to believe that stuff, and they are very attached to stupid ideas.
Attacks the idea, not the person
Well anti-vax are idiots so there is that.
Probably will be the same result
Precisely. If someone is an idiot, they won’t understand the difference anyway.
You stop speaking to them.
They’ll either come to realize that there are real world consequences for being a dumb asshole, like their friends and family abandoning them…or they won’t. Either way, you win.
I heard You’ll die in six months at Thanksgiving one year.
“Really? Holy fuck, I’m immortal! Call the press! Wait, no, I don’t want to be locked in a room and tested for 40 years, maybe we all just keep this our little secret.”
I love this popular and ass-backwards depiction of medical research because in reality it’s boring af sitting around in some clinic, they probably draw some blood and you’re free to go after an hour with a stipend.
