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Comment by suzzer99 | Hacker News Reader

For a long time he thought the moon landing was fake. That's not a position you arrive at with reasoned science and understanding how the world works. He's stated he thinks Bigfoot could be real. He does the same thing on a myriad of other topics. He presents some random quack as just as valid as real science.

If he was just some random dude none of this would matter. But with 11 million followers, sometimes this "my youtube research is just as valid as your scientific research" attitude can do real harm, as it did with vaccines.

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He's quite literally the "average Joe" (at least when he started). The reason he no longer thinks the moon landing is fake is because of reasoned science and understanding which he learned through the course of the show by talking to guests like Neil deGrasse Tyson.

If you invite me for dinner at your house and I spend 4 hours forcing you to convince me the Earth is round, even if I emerge with changed views, are we really going to be good friends after that?

That's up to you whether you can be friends with people who change your mind. I don't see why that's so hard but Rogan's changed opinion should be seen as a success story about learning.

Rogan changes his mind every time he talks to a guess with a different opinion. The opinion of someone who thinks the moon landing could be fake, or bigfoot could be real, should not be taken seriously by 11 million people when it comes to anything scientific. But sadly it is.

Rogan doesn't think either of those things, and really never the latter. It seems like you're basing all this on some outdated 2nd-hand source rather than actually listening to his podcast. And yes he's also fluid on views but stable on his values, like most people. That's how you can have hours of conversation instead of devolving into a heated debate, and maybe even share some knowledge by the end.

The more you claim to be the one to take seriously, the less serious anyone will want to take you. Especially if you do it in a negative fashion blocking others rather than putting out your own message. There's far more to influence, trust, and authenticity than claiming you're right or deducing everything to some rational puzzle, and perhaps that's the biggest lesson of all.

What does understanding about how the world works have to do with the validity of a moon landing?

A fake moon landing would take a conspiracy of 1000s of people, all of whom have kept their mouths shut, even on their deathbeds. That's just one of many things which have had to happen that defy all common sense.

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