How do people respond and how does it impact our society?
Flat earthers are often mocked and ridiculed due to their beliefs. Their actions not only impact them but also their social circle and society.
Flat earthers are often mocked and ridiculed due to their beliefs. Their actions not only impact them but also their social circle and society.
When flat earth theory first gained popularity in the 19th century, the public was outraged. Some attended flat earth lectures conducted by prolific flat earthers to engage in heated debates or even fist fights.
Many wrote to the newspaper to express their anger and unhappiness towards the city for providing the flat earthers a space to share their beliefs. Sailors and explorers wrote about their journey at sea to prove the curvature of the planet. Confused citizens sent letters to scientists, asking them to verify the claims.
While the public was angry, rude, and high on emotions, flat earthers stayed calm and stood firm towards their beliefs. The difference in behavior made the flat earthers come out as the victors, the ones with the moral high ground, further convincing the confused citizens that the Earth might truly be flat as the theory gained credibility.
One of the flat earther’s goals is to educate others on the “true” shape of the Earth. They would spend long hours on the Internet, researching and interacting with other flat earthers, then share the knowledge with their family and friends.
This behavior causes an emotional toll on the family as they are forced to engage in conspiracy topics that they do not believe. Communication becomes difficult, reducing trust between the two groups and undermining their emotional empathy for each other.
Without the knowledge and skills to effectively help flat earthers out of the conspiracy, family members experience a range of emotions of helplessness, despair, frustrations, and disgust which depletes their mental strength and leads to them being less capable of managing the situation.
With the whole world including their families alienating them, the flat earth community becomes the only safe space that understands the flat earthers’ struggles and beliefs. They organized regular meet-ups, conferences, and even developed a flat earth dating platform for them to connect with each other outside of the Internet.
Surrounding themselves with only flat earthers is very dangerous as it increases the exposure of other more dire conspiracy theories related to vaccines and climate change. One is more willing to endorse other conspiracy theories that they deem necessary when they are already heavily involved in one.
Unfortunately, getting a flat earther to denounce the conspiracy theory is much more complicated. The conspiracy theory has evolved from just believing in the theory to becoming their entire personality and social circle.
Rejecting the very core thing that they strongly believe in would mean admitting they have been wrong and leaving their only community. They would be completely isolated from both their family and the conspiracy groups.
