No useful tips for deprogramming, I’m afraid. The two most critical things was an honest desire to know the truth / challenge my own beliefs, and learning empathy which helped a bunch. The rest was part of a larger shift in my life.

(Edit: Not being entirely isolated in the crazy is probably the most reproducible aspect. Gaining contact with people outside of that sphere was important, though my motivations can’t be replicated…)

Paragraph 2 from the long version AKA my life story and shift to the left

As a teen I was big into Alex Jones and conspiracy theories to the point of losing friends before it was cool (pre-maga). Unfortunately for him, I took his advice and “did my own researcher”; becoming more disillusioned with his bullshit the more I learned. For one example, there was a great analysis paper on the sorts of energies and temperatures involved in 9-11, whose models perfectly matched the real world structural damage: no thermite or lasers needed. I bought into the h1n1 vax hoax from Ventura after I had the shot and thought I’d be crippled when then turned on the signal or whatever… But I wasn’t. Same with the Fukushima disaster Alex fearmongered about; turns out we’re not in a radioactive apocalypse. Retrospectively: he had a terrible track record for predictions.

But I also fell in love with a cute lefty boy around the tail end of my Alex Jones phase of life, which certainly spurred a lot of change and self-reflection… I had already started cutting through a teeny tiny bit of the bullshit myself, but that really pushed things along and on a grander scale.

No I haven’t. Since AJ, the only podcast I’ve watched has been LinusTechTips’ WANshow (and Level1Techs [prev. Tek Syndicate] very rarely). I’ve never really been big into the format.

I watch Belle of the Ranch for political commentary, news, and anything that matters. Vaush, SomeMoreNews, and a bunch of urbanist channels like Not Just Bikes for pol / pol-adjacent entertainment.