There’s a very simple way to combat most FUD: Do Your Own Research.
However, this comes with doing complete research, not cherry-picking the facts that just support your perspective or preferred view of reality.
FUD is often based on presenting a very specific portion of facts in a way that distorts the complete picture, hoping (as often is the case) that
1) people are just too lazy to do further research or
2) that they are incentivised not to look further.
If you combat FUD with a counterset of facts that are also cherry-picked you are just as bad.
You will be perpetuating the cycle of FUD and become complicit.
Reality is complex and there are rarely good guys and bad guys.
That doesn’t mean that a bad guy who is nice doesn’t need to be held to account.
Or a person who added value to your cause, but did some shit things doesn’t need to answer for those actions.
DYOR means you commit to finding out how facts are and then applying your own set of values to them and presenting BOTH of them openly and honestly.
That way, others can engage you on both those levels.
In debate, both matter as we need to be honest about our positions.
Without this, any debate is not worthy of that name, as it will just devolve into useless posturing.
The only thing that will be left in such a debate is a feeling of emotion, which is ephemeral and useless.
Learn to debate.
1/6 There's a very simple way to combat most FUD: Do Your Own Research.
However, this comes with doing complete research, not cherry-picking the facts that just support your perspective or preferred view of reality.
— Bas Wisselink (@DamelonBCWS) February 20, 2018
Bas Wisselink
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