Flat Earthers and what to do with them

So a friend of mine has just come out as a Flat Earther. I'm obviously finding this incredibly hard to deal with. I mean...if in some moment of complete insanity I thought we lived on a Flat Earth I would still have enough of my faculties to understand that it would not be sensible to let other people know of my beliefs.

This guy even sent me a video asking me to explain why he could see the moon and the sun in the sky at the same time. From this to geoengineering, to chemtrails all under the banner of 'they're controlling everything'.

Hopefully its just me thats having to put up with this kind of behaviour. But if anyone else has any success dealing with Flat Earthers (other than removing them from the gene pool on sight) please let me know.

Prove that we don't live on a flat earth

Prove that we don't live on a flat earth

The problem with this approach is that they reject facts and rational thought. Nothing will convince them; they have made up their mind. Therefor arguing with them is a waste of breath.

They even reject basic thought and there are no facts. Its just 'science' and 'theories'.

Its just 'science' and 'theories'.

9/10 indeed have no clue what the actual definition of a scientific theory is. I wonder if they reject gravity as well. Would be nice if they could just fly off in the middle of a debate.

So you don't feel any sense of responsibility to guide them back from the edge of insanity? Just let them see out their lives in ignorance?

Do they think there is an edge?

Laughed way too hard at that. Excellent.

I really want to understand flat earthers. What do they make of people who do trips like this?

So you don't feel any sense of responsibility to guide them back from the edge of insanity?

That's a tough one. Of course if they are your friends, you'd like to 'help' them (but they probably won't see it that way). But in my opinion it's futile. In order to believe the earth is flat, you have to reject so many basic things, that I think it's a lost cause.

Its probably the most painful discussion I've ever had with anyone. And I actually respect this persons views on other things. I can't help but feeling that underneath it all, flat earthers must be thick as fucking pig shit. Which takes the shine off any previous respect.

My problem with the flat earth people - flat earth person: NASA has been lying to you.

Me: ok but why?

What rational argument is there for a government space agency to do this? To keep people stupid is the usual response. Brilliant logic that.

I honestly don't know what they think. They are unable to articulate what there actually is, if not a continuum.

Some / most thinks there's a massive bastard ice wall that houses the plateau

Me: ok but why?

Obviously there is some kind of conspiracy going on. Maybe to keep planes in the air longer and therefor justify high ticket prices?

This is it. Then they start sending you videos like the one where a camera man puts a bible in front of Neil Armstrong and asks him to swear he went to the moon (which I actually quite like, but is a completely different subject) and then all that chat about how when you get to space, you can't see the stars 'NASA HAVE EVEN ADMITTED IT!'

Fuck me. I just lose the will to live.

Is it just the earth, they think is flat, or also the sun and moon? I have so many questions.

This guy flew to Oregon recently. I asked him why he thought he flew over Greenland.

Excellent. Do you want his number? I'll happily pass the baton.

The moon isn't real. Its flat and held in the sky. Photos prove it. The sun isn't real. Its now got a halo around it - its never used to look like that. I'm really struggling. You have to be really desperate to start a thread right?

Excellent. Do you want his number? I'll happily pass the baton.

No thanks. You can be the intermediary.

Did your friend come to this flat earth belief himself / doing his own research or did someone 'convert' him?

The sun isn't real.

Coming from a background in physics I find it really hard to understand people's logic when I read these theories; fair play that you are out there researching something and looking for evidence for yourself/not believing everything taught but it's baffling listening to some of the 'proofs'. I don't personally know of any flat earthers but my Aunt is an anti-vaxer and sells crystals that 'cure' cancer and it's got to the point where if she is in the room, I'm not.

Literally!