How to Debunk a Conspiracy Theory

Conspiracy theorists seem to live in their own little world, believing that every major event in history was actually some secret, evil plot. They shout these ideas so much that they can become part of history itself. How can you debunk these crackpot ideas and separate fact from fiction? Read on to learn how to debunk a conspiracy theory.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Read everything you can on historical events. Learning every detail you can find will not only help determine what really happened, but how the conspiracy theories came to be.
2. Gather all the hard facts. This is for two reasons--often conspiracy theories rely on just circumstantial evidence, and they leave out key facts that will hurt their story. The evidence that can be proven can likely debunk a conspiracy.
3. Find out who started the conspiracy ideas. Is the original source that reliable? Chances are it's not as valid as the conspiracy's followers want you to believe.
4. Find out if there are multiple conspiracy theories for one event. This is often their biggest problem--someone comes up with a theory that completely negates someone else's idea. When these theories counteract each other, the truth can stand alone.
5. See how the "facts" and "evidence" of a conspiracy changes over time. Often a conspiracy's "proof" will grow more outlandish as it progresses, especially human witnesses whose stories become more exaggerated. Too many theorists can't keep their facts straight, and it hurts them big time.
6. Remain calm and composed when presenting your evidence. A conspiracy theorists most popular weapons are noise and emotion, as they scream how their ideas have to be right. Don't play their game.

Tips & Warnings

• Your best weapon is Occam's Razor--the simplest solution is usually correct.
• Be prepared to be attacked yourself. Conspiracy theorists favorite defense is accusing anyone who debunks them of being part of the plot themselves.