Hello everyone,
In recent weeks we have seen a surge of topics relating to frustration at the slow progress of disclosure, resentment towards figures such as Kirkpatrick and Greenstreet, and general hand-wringing about the status of people’s belief in the UAP topic. Some of these come across as disingenuous attempts to sow discord and apathy, and others seem more genuine. I would like to urge everyone to take a step back and avoid these negative patterns that are a) unhealthy and b) do not help further the cause of disclosure one bit.
”Believers vs skeptics”
We’ve all seen what tribalist thinking has done in political and pop culture. I see posts here constantly saying things like “I’m a believer but…” or “as a skeptic…”. I know it’s easy and fulfilling to feel like we’re part of a team – but it’s counterproductive to get into these ideological purity tests or start identifying with one camp or another.
As much as many of us, sometimes myself included, get annoyed at the dismissive and contemptuous tone of the debunking posts, those who are more skeptical provide a healthy dose of critical thinking that can aid in the search for truth. The folks over at Metabunk, for example – and I know many of them read this sub – do some excellent case investigation work, including Mick West. Their main fault is that they often start out with a predetermined conclusion, which introduces logical flaws into their analysis.
I think that many of the members here have very impressive research skills and – ultimately – most of us are here because we acknowledge there are unexplained phenomena in our skies and waters that we want to find out more about. Whether you “believe” or are a “skeptic” should merely be an indicator of your current evaluation of the available evidence. There’s literally zero point in the mudslinging that goes on. No one benefits from that other than those who wish to keep the topic taboo or hide things from the public.
Against Alienfluencers and news cycle addiction
To coin a term, I strongly urge everyone to resist the temptation of indulging the wave of alienfluencers we are seeing. Every topic in mainstream discourse is swamped with people who make plenty of noise, but wouldn’t know signal if it bit them in the ass. Rewarding these people with attention only serves to a) dilute the good, solid research and investigation which is out there, and b) risk the daily news about the topic becoming solely about the interpersonal drama between these egotists. Why should we give a hoot about Mellon dunking on Greenewald on Twitter or who lied about whom? Every time a case grips our interest, like MH370 or the Jellyfish, we get hordes of comments calling it a “distraction”. But you know what? Time spent investigating cases and searching for the truth, even if far-fetched, is infinitely more worthwhile than following these figures’ daily tantrums.
Letting disclosure turn into something we’re constantly checking the news cycle for isn’t helping anyone. By all means, be proactive, contact your reps, etc. but these things are always going to be bogged down by procedure, by delay, by stalling tactics. If you need something to focus attention on, research! Look into old cases. Look into videos / sighting reports. Look into the institutions and figures involved. But getting your brain hooked on cheap dopamine doesn’t help the cause at all, and will just tire you out.
Of course there are many figures who are likely fighting for the cause in good faith. But what do we really owe the Elizondos, the Coultharts of the world? When they bring us good information, great! But that doesn’t mean we need to constantly follow the daily to and fro. Tune in when there’s signal, float above the noise.
Certainly also there’s plenty of interesting trends to look at regarding how the information in this space is being manipulated and what’s going on behind the scenes – and I think that is something we should all be aware of. But being aware of, for example, the problems with the way mainstream news covers UAPs, doesn’t mean we have to get into a constant rage cycle about it.
I know this plea is unlikely to move the needle much. The content machine has already started to churn and this space is starting to flood with people trying to get traction and become the next big thing. But to those others like me out there who are here to find answers to one of life’s great mysteries – don’t let it all wear you down.
submitted by /u/ithilmir_
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