INFORMATION DUPE: WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

An Information Dupe always has the latest news first. Right or wrong, being first is what matters.

When they’re right, they are a genius. Just ask them. But when they are wrong?

Even if there’s no way it could be true, try and convince anyone they’re wrong about anything.

If you’ve talked to an information dupe, you know the story. They lean in, talk low, and then look at you for a reaction.

What we supposed to do next? When someone you like and trust wants you to believe them, needs you to believe them, is it better to go along, or explain the obvious?

Your decision says more about you than who they are. Repeating ideologically derived information has power over the untrained mind.

For them, if it sounds good enough, then it’s good enough. That it’s a steaming pile of conspiracy, debunked theory, and science denier ignorance is beside the point.

That’s when it’s time to either get on board the crazy train, or wait for the next one to pull into the station.

Information Dupe, Or Not

If you make eye contact and nod and do the other active listening techniques because you don’t want to hurt any feelings, you may turn into an Information Dupe.

But who wants to be a dupe of any kind? Who wants to get played, worked, fooled or just misled? Not me. Chances are it’s not you either. Since you’re reading boomerpdx, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Fair enough?

After all, this is the work of a guy who finished college because the schools he dropped out of weren’t prestigious enough.

“Did you finish college?”

“No, I dropped out of M.I.T.”

“Tough school to start and finish, that’s for sure.”

Does that sound reasonable? More reasonable than:

“Did you get your college degree?”

“No, I dropped out of Southern Oregon College.”

“So you weren’t smart enough for a directional state school?”

From collegefactual.com:

Overall, Southern Oregon University is ranked 1,276 out of 1,715. This means that about 74% of the colleges in our system rank as well or better than this college.

Portland State came to the rescue.

Those are the educational bonafides of a skeptical blogger, and sometimes information dupe.

Make Up Your Own Mind? Here’s Help

Conspiracy, falsehoods, and lies might be interesting, but don’t plan on building anything lasting on that foundation.

Understanding a sour slice of human nature helps clear the air of stupid.

People need to feel important. If they do good work that others find value in, they are important. Easy call, right?

But if they passively absorb shit talking fabrications from a proven liar, and repeat them as the gospel by leaning in on the unaware to convince them? They are serving themselves a big plate of bullshit, so big that they need to share.

Questioning someone’s personal history? Questions about birth certificates? An inquiry about hidden beliefs? Put on the boots and grab a shovel before you get buried.

Stolen valor? Taking undue credit? Living in fantasy? As long as they keep it to themselves, or among the similarly afflicted, no harm done. Except to them, because they like to run their mouths. And they’re amateurs.

If you see a screwball on television, live next to one, or just notice nut cases while out and about on normal activities of life, Be Prepared.

They want you to argue, convince, and explain the common reality so they can dispute, deny, and dump their version of history out. And it’s a big dump, a huge dump.

When Mr. and Mrs. Numbnuts make contact with those outside their bubble, they show the sort of social awkwardness that comes from isolation with a TV welded to Fox News.

That’s their game and you can’t win because they practice being jerks. The men pinch their faces into an ugly mask made uglier when they open their mouths and channel their inner Tucker Carlson. Stick around long enough and you might see their inner Sean Hannity.

The Fox dream team looks like middle aged men and a group of women recruited from cocktail lounges and hair salons. As a group they demonstrated their worth and loyalty to their boss. The big question is where the demonstration happened: in front of the big desk, or under it?

To loyal readers: leave a comment on the most recent Information Dupe you’ve encountered. What happened?

(Inquiring minds what to know, but you knew that.)