Getting Discomfortable with a Flat Earther: Part 1

While at a bar here in Cape Town I overheard Josh, a local friend of a friend, talking about an unusual belief he holds, one that I’ve heard exists but have never actually encountered in the wild. It’s the kind of idea that most people, myself included, would dismiss out of hand: the belief that the earth is flat.

When I realized Josh was a flat earther, I immediately wanted to know more, not because I’m particularly interested in the flat earth theory itself, but because it’s a perspective that seems totally foreign and almost willfully crazy to me — the kind of unorthodox perspective that makes for very uncomfortable conversations. I wanted to know what would lead one to adopt such a belief, what the allure was, and what other beliefs connect to this fundamental distrust of science and society.

And of course, I wanted to explore the shame angle! How can one withstand the constant judgment, criticism, and social rejection associated with such a fringe ideology? Our discussion led me to an interesting insight about the way shame can be modulated by deciding whose opinions really matter.

Josh seems like a perfectly normal 26-year-old professional. Unless his range of conspiracy (or “contrarian” as he prefers to call them) theories come up (which apparently isn’t often, he’s not always keen to talk about it), you’d never know or guess that his view of reality is so different from your own (assuming you’re a “glober” like me). Josh asserts that he’s put more thought into the shape of the earth than most people, and I think he’s right. But has he put as much critical thinking into the religious beliefs that underpin his flat earth theory? Though I still see no reason to distrust what society tells me about the shape of the earth, I think it’s always an interesting thought experiment to look critically at our most basic, unquestioned beliefs and ask, how do I know this is true?

This interview was also a great opportunity for me to practice what I preach by trying to conduct a potentially inflammatory conversation with a sense of respect and equality, resisting the urge to try to “win” the argument or to try to make the other person look bad. I went into this uncomfortable conversation with the goal of trying to understand an unusual point of view while at the same time trying to authentically communicate my feelings, all without being emotionally reactive. It’s worth noting that, ironically, I probably went easier on this flat earther than I did with my own mother in my interview with her. The urge to judge, mock, and/or shame someone with an unpopular, outlandish, and arguably irresponsible belief is always hard to resist, but I don’t think it accomplishes anything useful. It’s not an effective strategy for changing someone’s mind, it’s disrespectful, and it’s shaming. And I have to admit that I was surprised to discover, at least with this particular flat earther, that on many issues of personal value we actually agreed more than we disagreed.

The controversial film Josh references as igniting his flat earth beliefs is The Principle. I haven’t seen it, but can watch the trailer here:

This interview has been edited for clarity and interest. More thoughts on what might lead one to become a flat earther in Part 2.