Asklemmy

44002 readers

1252 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
[email protected]: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

111

How to deal with Ancient aliens in the workplace? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

90 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Two of my coworkers frequently mention shows like "Encounters" or "Ancient apocalypse" or whatever. I'm not the best at debating or forming arguments against these though I do feel strongly that bold claims require better evidence than a blurry photo and an eyewitness account. How do you all go about this?

Today I clumsily stumbled through conversation and said "I'll need some evidence" and was hit with "there's plenty of evidence in the episode 'Lights over Fukushima'". I didn't have an answer because I haven't watched it. I'm 99% sure that if I watch it it's gonna be dramatized, designed to scare/freak you out a little and consist of eyewitness accounts and blurry photos set to eerie music. But I'm afraid I just sound like a haughty know-it-all if I do assert this before watching.

These are good people and I want to remain on good terms and not come across as a cynical asshole.

(Sorry if language is too formal or stilted. Not my native tongue)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This might sound like a crazy answer from a crazy person but hear me out. If they are good people and you're somewhat familiar with them, just call them kooks, say that shit's all made up and dismiss it. just don't be aggressive about it, people can still be on good terms without agreeing on everything. Just be like "nah man, no way that happened these shows are just people who want attention, if it was real there'd be better evidence and it'd be all over the news."

I honestly think this is the best way to go, you're engaging them honestly, attacking the show, not them. And so long as you don't get hung up on their response or 'winning the argument' I think you can all remain on good terms. How you go about this obviously depends on how friendly you are with them but if they're good people they'll still be your friend even if you're too dumb to see the truth about aliens.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Bingo. People are MUCH more willing to put aside what they'd consider absolute deal breaking things when they're forced to interact with you anyway. Arguing with someone about this sort of shit wouldn't change their minds and is a waste of time even if it somehow did. Be who you are and move along in your work relationship and expect them to do the same for you. That's how you maintain a healthy work environment. It's a good way to foster mutual respect.