You’ve got more patience than me then. I’ve tried many tactics and none will change the mind of someone who’s mind is already made up. Shaming them at least get them to go away. For those who are willing to listen it is refreshing and I’m always taken back and I then be sure to be on my best behavior.
Keep in mind that I did mention "sipping on the Kool-Aid" because -- as you mentioned -- there's a big difference between those that are just neck-deep in it and those that are maybe thinking about it. I think of it as the difference between someone who's having a bad day and needs a hug compared to someone that's having a bad year and needs therapy. I remember sitting there trying to think of what I could say when I heard a friend talk about Mike Lindell's movie and say something like, "He said he's got evidence. Why shouldn't we trust him?"
Ultimately, I try to play to someone's humanity. When I talk about immigrants, it's good to remind people that our ancestors were immigrants too... we were just lucky to come when there wasn't a craft store's worth of red tape to go through. Another thing that can work is to try to find a common ground on an issue that you might disagree on. For example, with immigration, most agree that we need rules and such in place, and that's where you can interject about how broken the system is. Some people get rather guarded when feeling attacked/cornered, so it helps to keep things more relaxed and calm.
Honestly, it can be pretty exhausting at times.. especially when it feels like you're not getting anywhere.
I guess, in some ways, I try to use some of those same techniques even when discussing things here. I don't always agree with everyone, but I try to act proper about it. Trust me though... it ain't always easy. I've literally rewritten some posts about a dozen times to help clean up caustic language.
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