Criticizing is easy and pleasant, especially when a person is wrong. Angry condemnation, public ridicule, and debunking propaganda, conspiracy theories, incorrect treatment methods, and misconceptions seem important and useful. But is that really so? Real facts and observations suggest the opposite. By ridiculing and criticizing, we spread harmful ideas and memes and make their supporters even more convinced of them. 1. Reinforcing misconceptions. Research shows that after people encounter opposing views, opponents often become even more firmly entrenched in their original views. Especially if it happened publicly, confrontationally, and with ridicule. As Juvenal correctly noted long ago, “opinions are like nails: the more you hammer them, the deeper they sink.” Therefore, you did not ridicule the lie—you only convinced the other person even more that they are right. 2. Spreading lies. The more often you reproduce lying memes, the more widely they spread. Tha...
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