The strongest predictor of whether someone believed in COVID-19-related misinformation and risks related to the vaccine was whether they viewed COVID-19 prevention efforts in terms of symbolic strength and weakness. In other words, this group focused on whether an action would make them appear to fend off or “give in” to untoward influence.
[…]
Our findings highlight the limits of countering misinformation directly, because for some people, literal truth is not the point.
Holding on to unshakable belief in the most outlandish lies you’ve been told, always the best way to prove that you’re a strong independent thinker who won’t give in to outside influence.
The point is, not to believe the government. That’s the “win” in quotes. Same reason why people think the earth is flat or the original moon landing is fake. If the goverment said “nobody was on the moon”, then by definition those people would think the opposite and say “government lies, the are hiding something on the moon, they visited it”.
Ah, the ol’ Congressional Republicans strategy.
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“You can’t reason someone out of something they weren’t reasoned into”
- Jonathan swift, 1721
This isn’t a new idea. I appreciate the article all the same though!
The original article, published with a Creative Commons license.
The number of “friends” I have on Diaspora* that STILL post Covid disinfo on the regular is flabbergasting. If i hadn’t met these folks in real life I would swear they were bots.
