Ask yourself this: When an anti-vaxxer speaks to another anti-vaxxer, what is different compared to when they speak to you? Are they more guarded with you? Why?
The other point, which is often not emphasized enough: It's not enough to be something, you have to show it. You may know everything about why the person is an anti-vaxxer, but he doesn't know that. Asking open ended, nonconfrontational and nonjudgmental questions often signals to others that your goal is to listen, and not to change their mind.
Of course, if your goal is to change their mind, you'll make little progress.
https://theconversation.com/why-hard-core-trump-supporters-i...
It is often a facet of populists and underdogs, that they do not understand what is required of power. Also, if intimidation and lies have been tolerated in school and working lives without reprecussions, it may be part of the conditioning creeping up into seats of power. Look at it as a mirror of consequences.
Stay curious.
I'm fiscally moderate and socially liberal, but...
> that heuristic doesn’t work for anti-maskers.
> I still have trouble understanding how they can think the way they do.
Indeed you have watched some media, and you have observed some behavior, but you are extrapolating that into a confident perception of knowing what an entire group of people comprehensively think and believe, are you not?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind
If you were to observe someone else doing the same but with a different logical grouping, say, by ethnicity or certain religions, would you consider that acceptable?
Me: I read their media frequently and in-depth.
You: No, what I meant was the theory of the mind....
Me: Sure, pal.
Examples of mind reading:
- Not being facetious at all, but [that heuristic doesn’t work] for anti-maskers.
- [the information they have] is widely viewable on Trump’s Twitter feed and Newsmax.
- [I know what they know] and I still have trouble understanding how they can [think the way they do].
The amount of people who seem to have this self-perception is starting to look like a fairly substantial percentage of the userbase here. Will be interesting to see if this changes in 2021.
Not being facetious at all, but that heuristic doesn’t work for anti-maskers. The information they have is widely viewable on Trump’s Twitter feed and Newsmax. I know what they know and I still have trouble understanding how they can think the way they do.