Cult Experts Recommend Doing This When Talking To MAGA Relatives. Here's Why.

"In an era where misinformation spreads faster than the truth, and political extremism often feels more like a full belief system than a policy stance, many of us have found ourselves in painfully surreal situations. Maybe it's a relative who sends you a link to a fringe conspiracy site, or an old friend who insists the government is run by subterranean lizard people - and they mean it."

"These aren't scripts to win an argument or "deprogram" someone in one conversation. Instead, they are strategies to help you make it through these (often exhausting) interactions and respond as best you can to those you love. Ask a good question. First and foremost, you have to remember who it is that you're speaking to, explained Steven Hassan, Ph.D., founder and director of Freedom of Mind Resource Center, and author of "The Cult of Trump.""

""If you're speaking with someone who is a relative or a childhood friend, you can go back in your mind to remember who they were before, and keep telling yourself they're still there," said Hassan. "They've been hacked. They're going to come out. So how can I help them just realize for themselves that they're not happy there?" From there, he said to remember those good memories and focus on cultivating a warm and curious rapport that is centered"

Misinformation and political extremism can distort beliefs and create painful ruptures in family and friendship bonds. Practical strategies prioritize preserving relationships over winning arguments, focusing on emotional safety and gradual reconnection. Experts in cult recovery recommend remembering the person's pre-radicalization identity, invoking shared memories, and cultivating a warm, curious rapport. Communication should center on simple, effective, concise questions whose answers the asker already knows, aimed at prompting self-reflection rather than confrontation. These approaches treat extreme belief adoption as a reversible state, emphasize patience, and offer tools to navigate exhausting interactions while keeping lines of contact open.

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