How to socialize with people holding false beliefs?

[unoduetre]

Imagine you are an expert in a field or maybe you just read a lot about a particular topic.

Someone claims something is true but you know it's false (or the opposite, the person claims something is false, but you know it's true). I don't mean you and that person have different opinions. I mean something is e.g. disproven (or proven) by science (e.g. that person might claim that the earth is flat or that evolution is false etc.). You try to explain to the person why it's false (or true) and provide some information, scientific articles etc.

But the person still claims the same thing and ignores all the information you provided or refuses to even read the things you've provided.

What to do next?

Should you just try to avoid this topic and still try to socialize with that person and pretend it's just a difference in opinions, even if it's not?

Or maybe you should just keep the contact with the person at the required minimum (e.g. if you work with that person, to keep it at the minimum level to let the work be done)?

What if the person tries to spread the misinformation and confuse/mislead other people? Should you act in this case? How to act in a way that would not make you an enemy of that person? (Is it possible at all?)

What are your opinions about it? I am interested in all opinions, because maybe other people have a better way to deal with this situation.

Help!

[TrashM]

You obviously call them an idiot and laugh in their face

[unoduetre]

Ha ha, that's one option. Maybe not the best one from my personal perspective. But definitely some people do that.

[WorldIsMine]

find their kiwifarms account and post en masse on social media because no one's a good person and the world is trash

[unoduetre]

[mention=50260]WorldIsMine[/mention]

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, I don't think it's the right approach for me. I don't like witch hunts regardless of from which side they're coming from and who are the supposed witches.

[Beerkeg]

I'd say just don't socialize with them. If they can't debate their views without getting hostile, just don't interact with them. If it's a work thing just keep it to business. Answer questions, don't deviate from the topic. It's not worth the effort, because if you want to help them see reason and they are adamant in their beliefs, you wont get anywhere.
Also if they use the phrase "You're just closed-minded" you're wasting your breath because that is an argument from someone who has no actual arguments to bring up. The correct course of action is to back up while keeping eye contact. Once you're about 10 meters away, you're safe to turn around and walk away.

[Ithuriel]

If they leave you be about their beliefs, ignore it, if they try to ram their beliefs down your throat, well,...…
Well, if they are flat Earthers, just say you have not seen any passage in the bible saying it is XD
If they are bible thumpers, say, but Allah said Jesus was just a man.

Basically be an annoying twat back and they will either leave it out or go away and not bother you again.

[TheRedWarrior]

I tend to accept that people have different beliefs. I try to understand what exactly they believe in and then if I don't agree I'll simply ignore it. I won't turn it into a problem.

[unoduetre]

I'd say just don't socialize with them. If they can't debate their views without getting hostile, just don't interact with them. If it's a work thing just keep it to business. Answer questions, don't deviate from the topic. It's not worth the effort, because if you want to help them see reason and they are adamant in their beliefs, you wont get anywhere.
Also if they use the phrase "You're just closed-minded" you're wasting your breath because that is an argument from someone who has no actual arguments to bring up. The correct course of action is to back up while keeping eye contact. Once you're about 10 meters away, you're safe to turn around and walk away.

[mention=100737]Beerkeg[/mention]

Thank you for this post. I had some similar thoughts to what you said. Sometimes not interacting with some people might be a better option than getting annoyed by their "theories" (of course in the quotation marks).

[unoduetre]

If they leave you be about their beliefs, ignore it, if they try to ram their beliefs down your throat, well,...…
Well, if they are flat Earthers, just say you have not seen any passage in the bible saying it is XD
If they are bible thumpers, say, but Allah said Jesus was just a man.

Basically be an annoying twat back and they will either leave it out or go away and not bother you again.

[mention=31140]Ithuriel[/mention]

Ha ha, some good advice here. Sometimes it might be funny to use their own (lack of) reasoning against them.

[unoduetre]

I tend to accept that people have different beliefs. I try to understand what exactly they believe in and then if I don't agree I'll simply ignore it. I won't turn it into a problem.

[mention=42186]TheRedWarrior[/mention]

Thank you for the contribution. Yes, it's important to understand what they believe in (and why, if possible). But I think the problem with just ignoring them is that they might try to mislead other people into believing them. And I think this is not a good thing to let them do it freely. If they want to believe in some bullshit, they're free to do it, but I do not think that there should be no opposition to what they say when they try to spread their false beliefs.

I do not mean censoring, but simply arguing against their points openly (and providing sources of course) when they try to spread them.

Of course this is about things that are scientifically confirmed or rejected. Opinions are a different thing and everyone should be able to form and promote their own opinions freely (arguably with some exceptions like hate speech).