Its happened to all of us. Some friend we had in elementary school or from an old job is all of a sudden making super weird comments on Facebook, or youre in a bar and some random is trying to talk to you about fluoride for some reason. Its not always immediately clear. Like, I realized one day that people saying crazy things were always following it up with Do your own research! and then finally discovered that it was sort of a buzzphrase for conspiracy theorists.
So, I thought Id compile a list of the ways to know that someone in your life is starting to head down to tin foil hat alley.
1. Says insane thing (probably about chemtrails), and if you dispute, insists that you Do your own research!
This is one of the earliest signs of this type of crazy- and its also a major Glenn Beck-ism. I dont know about you, but when I state a fact, Im usually able to explain that fact. Especially if its something that may be controversial.
For instance, I do not so much believe that Joan Crawford beat her children. This is a thing that most people believe, because of the movie Mommie Dearest however, when asked to explain, I dont yell Do your own research! at people, I explain that all of the other children (save for Christopher) have refuted Christinas book, as well as Crawfords actual personal assistant, and Myrna Loy, and pretty much anyone else who was around during that time. Im not saying Im 100% definitely correct on this, but I err on the side of probably not.
Still, I dont throw out something weird, get mad at people for not immediately taking me at my word, and then yell at them to do their own research. I mean, if they want to, thats fine, but Im usually quite able to support my arguments.
2. Freaking Flouride
UGH. These people and their fluoride. They love to make up crap about how the government puts fluoride in the water to keep us dumb and rebellion-resistant, like no one has ever seen Dr. Strangelove before or something. This is usually what they start with, probably because it sounds slightly more realistic than like, Lizard People.
It is not, however, true. At all. And yes, Ive done my research. But dont tell that to these people, especially if they are drunk at a bar, because they will, in fact, start screaming at you about it. Fluoride and the vaccinations cause autism thing are like the gateway drugs into tin-foil hat land.
3. Rejecting the tyranny of paragraph breaks
I swear to god, this is a thing. Whenever I see a comment thats just a giant block of text with no breaks in it, I immediately just go Welp, this ones gonna be crazy and I am pretty much always right. I dont know why this is a thing, it just is.
4. When a person who you already kinda know isnt too swift starts trying to pretend that they are some kind of intellectual who is totally going to school you on how things are in the world.
I hate to say this, but its true. Its always the dumb ones. I feel bad, because like, theyre usually just coming across this stuff for the first time and it is totally blowing their minds. Like, I already know that some people think that the Rothschilds control the world and that there are Mason things on the dollar bill and also THE MOON LANDING WAS FAKED or whatever. Ive known for years, and Ive already figured out that its all bullshit.
The more you read about history, the more you realize that people are so not getting it together to form a whole New World Order anytime soon. While there have been conspiracy type things throughout history (MKUltra, Tuskeegee, Project Paperclip, the COINTELPRO that actually existed and not the one people pretend still exists), they have been discovered fairly quickly. Because someone always has a big mouth.
5. They use the term term Big Pharma (or Big Anything) in all seriousness
There are about a 1000 problems with the pharmaceutical industry, for sure. However, when your friend is talking about Big Pharma they are not usually talking so much about overpriced cancer medication as they are like, vaccines causing autism and things like that. Also, sane people, when discussing the problems with the pharmaceutical industry just do not say things like Big Pharma because they like being taken seriously.
6. Wake up, Sheeple!
Being awake or being asleep is like, tin-foil hat code for being hep to all kinds of nonsense. Which is why on those weird personal ads for Infowars everyone was like Ive been awake for 4 months and things. Sheeple is what they call people who do not go along with them.
See, usually, these people are kind of new. Like, they think that the information they are about to rock you with is A) Nothing you have ever heard before or B) Something you are going to buy wholesale, immediately, because their evidence is so vastly compelling. If you do not believe them, you are obviously a sheep of a person.
7. You lose!
Um, just some weird thing that they always seem to say when they think theyve trumped your logic. Because they are very mature.
8. They say things about ZOG or Zionist Occupied Government or The Rothschilds are controlling the world! without understanding that that shit is pretty anti-Semitic
I have actually had to explain, on several occasions that, yes, the term ZOG is an anti-Semitic the Jews are controlling the government! thing. And also like, a Randy Weaver/ Ruby Ridge thing. I imagine they just hear the term a bunch around the Infowars type sites and think is a real thing? I dont know. Like I said, not the swiftest bunch of humans.
At this point, however, it is probably best to start avoiding these people. Not much you can do to help. Next step after this is Lizard People, and Im not sure theres much hope after that.