Do you remember this from the Butler PA shooting?

[Ponietz]

30. Low media literacy, information bubbles, and stress/fear

Warning signs

Certainty without evidence: “I just know.”
Everything is proof: any counterevidence becomes part of the plot.
Unfalsifiable claims: no possible evidence could change their mind.
Source asymmetry: dismisses mainstream sources automatically, trusts fringe sources uncritically.
Secret-knowledge appeal: feeling special for “seeing what others don’t.”
Motive inflation: assuming every bad outcome must be deliberate.
Constant escalation: one theory leads to broader suspicion about everything.

How to talk to someone

Stay calm: mocking usually strengthens the belief.
Ask gentle questions: “What evidence would change your mind?”
Focus on one claim: don’t argue about ten things at once.
Examine sources together: who produced it, what’s the evidence, is it independently confirmed?
Affirm emotions, not the theory: “I get why that feels unsettling.”
Avoid identity threats: don’t make it about them being stupid or gullible.
Plant doubt slowly: small cracks work better than direct confrontation.
Set limits: if it becomes obsessive or aggressive, disengage.

Best question to ask

“What evidence would convince you this claim is false?”
The answer shows whether the CT is evidence-based or identity-based.