baldeagle

So someone says something outrageous at a party, like "sometimes snitching is ok." Or "if you don't have anything to hide, why worry about encryption." Or any of the other things that we forget people think because who hangs out with them.

But the question here is what are the various interesting and creative and perhaps more useful ways to confront really stupid statements (and/or people). Many are trained on the "see something, say something" that law enforcement promotes. But when it is better to, for example, draw someone out so that they say ALL the stupid stuff they think, either a) so that they realize themselves that they're not making sense, or the mutually exclusive b) so that people know where this person stands and not to plan anything fun with them? 

There have certainly been times when I've delayed a challenge to a friend or acquaintance because I knew I'd have better chances of being understood or getting through to a person in a different context (one on one, not surrounded by strangers, etc), but maybe my (eventual) appeal to someone's understanding is not the kick in the butt that that person needed to really get the impact of what their comments imply. How do people learn, and how (and when) are you available to teach? And when are we teaching not the person who said something, but others in the room? And related questions... 

What have been your best, most considered interventions and/or NONinterventions?

Comments

anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/13/2026 - 12:45

I often try to intervene on stupid TOTW questions, but often my "teachings" are not posted by the mods.

Max Stirner (not verified) Mon, 04/13/2026 - 14:08

I am reading a stupid statement and yet it is not necessary to be callous and point this out. Hope this helps.

Max Stirner (not verified) Mon, 04/13/2026 - 23:33

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

Good idea. For our first session, everyone go offline, drink 5 glasses of water, talk to normals, and no, you can't wear your Leftover Crack onesie in public. $500000 please, cash.

Lebou (not verified) Mon, 04/13/2026 - 18:02

As a vegetarian nihilo-empathanarch I spontaneously confront offensive actions and ideas with rejection and counter arguments from within my bubble of individuated rebellion against anthropocentric dominated systems. So I occasionally step out of my smug shield of wisdom to roll in the dirt of inevitable social intercourse with the horde. I am very humble despite what I appear to be.

Lebou (not verified) Tue, 04/14/2026 - 19:10

In reply to by anonymous (not verified)

OoOoh noOo, my humility to the "horde" is one of avoidance, indifference, silence, and the use of martial artistry to repel them. I must be careful to avoid imprisonment by the hordes legal dominance. Tactics are important.
Do not twist my autonomous individuality to be anthropocentric.

km (not verified) Tue, 04/14/2026 - 10:43

how do people learn?

well, probably not by being insulted, laughed at or ridiculed.

you could present facts and such as to why you think their viewpoints are in error, but that may not do the trick either.

for myself, on the snitching question: i might tell the person about what happens in police custody. why no one, even one's enemies, should be handed over to police. but they'd have to believe me and if the first thing i had done was insult their intelligence that probably wouldn't happen.

learning a set of facts or a set of ideas is mere rote learning.

learning how to learn, now that's the shit. and this is a thing one does for oneself because one wants to not because someone called you stupid.

anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/14/2026 - 12:42

In reply to by km (not verified)

i think that everyone would say that they want to learn, and in fact probably do want to learn, but not necessarily about things that will make them sad, hopeless, etc. 

but also, we can't know (at least in the kind of scenario alluded to in the prompt) wht this specific person will respond to. so the prompt assumes some kind of negotiation between our own motivation, what we think makes sense based on who's around, and then what we think of the person we're talking to. 

probably why specific exampls from peoples lives is more interesting than speculation about this open-ended kind of query.

CalvinSmith Wed, 04/15/2026 - 13:45

In reply to by km (not verified)

If you don't want to be a snitch, then the simplest thing you can do is avoid the situations where you will feel compelled to do it. When people problematize being open about yourself and what you feel, they just create more problems. The ability to commit crime has little to do with proper skill and technique, and if it's serious enough of an act, then telling absolutely anyone about it is snitching, collaboration is always subject to snitching.

I think any anarchist would snitch if their collaborators snitched first, or the cops made them believe such has occurred, as they're constantly lieing. In the case where someone actually did blame your for something you didn't do, then snitching is always justified, no matter if you ruin their life or not.

Boletus (not verified) Wed, 04/15/2026 - 23:13

Humor. Use humor. Learn to use humor. Learn to use humor that isn't just mean. Diffuses the tension, breaks down defensiveness, reframes the problem and just makes people laugh. People like to laugh.

Also, a well timed smile here and there never hurts

slave (not verified) Thu, 04/16/2026 - 05:10

1. from childhood, I am under influence of teahcing of parents, what is good, what is bad, etc.
2. later when I am older, I am under influence of education and teachers under control of ruling class,
3. later in my teen time, I am under influence of my friends, it means, what is normal or crazy in our society and what habits we will have (for example, alcohol, relationship, parties, music, movies, etc), and I am still under influence of eduational system of ruling class and I watch capitalist media also
4. eventually I come under influene of univerity professors whoi teah students liberal capitalism (reforms instead of termination - we have constitution, we have UN conventions, we have civil rights, etc). I am still watching media...
5. I am already 25 years and maybe older and one anarchist come to me and he thinks I will change my opinion beayse he speaks with me 30 minutes and I am 25 years under influence of all mentioned.

can 25 years be abolished in 30 minutes of teaching?
will people onfront with ruling lass and get stik in the head and prison or they will rather choose peronal inbterest: if I kiss ruling class in the ass, I will get better life and at least I will not sit in the prison.

conclusion: only slaves can liberate themselves if they hoose to risk, there is no anarchist missionary, teacher, who can change slaves in 30 minutes or 3 days of talking after 25 years being doctrined by different factors in society: parents, teachers/school, friends, media, even military where it is obligation, etc.

so, you can be a teacher of anarhism but many people will follow rather personal interest: I dont want to get problems, better to stay out of politics.
on the other side, some slaves will say: better grave than slave, I will fight and sit in the prison.
but teaching will not convince people to fight, people choose on the basis of their character: will they fight or adapt themselves in slavery.

his great tome "The Unique and It's Property" about human development: the child lives by experimenting with objects, without any reflection, the youth (i assume he means teenagers and college students) begins reflecting and seeks to impose their ideals, and the adult finally embraces self-benefit and egoism.

Of course, given his diatribe against philosophy, religion, and politics...he doesn't 100% believe this narrative, yet it does have relevance: the writer of this TOTW is clearly in the youth phase despite their age. Apparently, they have superior skills and knowledge (that's the impression i get from reading it), but they just aren't showing they have the superior skills. This is something i've noticed from a lot of teenagers and college-aged people, too many articles on this website reflect this mindset.

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