Am I really the problematic one?

[Anonymous]

Hello, I came to this app because I need to clarify my situation. I've been married for 5 years. My husband was a very mentally balanced person, but lately, for the last few years, he's immersed himself in the propaganda of ignorance that most people on Facebook follow.

He has gone from having logical opinions to following people who only confuse and cause ignorance, because in the end that is the goal, to make the population doubt absolutely everything and make them ignorant, he thinks the earth is flat, and has a lot of ridiculous theories, the last situation was a video about a man saying that the first lady is actually Princess Diana, because this man in the video put their faces side by side, and according to my husband they matched, I told him that I didn't believe it, and he threw his cell phone across the room in a fit of rage, he told me that I am ignorant and that I am not intelligent, but I will not let Facebook propaganda consume me.

But am I wrong? Am I the problem?

[Anonymous]

Let me try to answer your question with an example.

I have a Facebook friend who is very left leaning. I went to high school with this guy. He was always from a left leaning family but when were kids we didn't care much about political stuff. Now the majority of what he posts is political. We as a society have become very polarized and our politics spill over into our every day lives. Most of the political posts I just let roll off me like water off a ducks back. But yesterday he posted a and alleged post by Robert Reich, claiming that Trump is moving to where he'll eventually be able to arrest you or I and hold us without trial just for speaking against him.

Now I'm well aware of the danger he speaks of. As well as the hyperbole he's using. Because what Robert Reich was doing is just as irresponsible. He's putting so little faith in the American people. And you cannot make a right with two wrongs. You cannot bully someone into seeing your viewpoint.

I'm not trying to make any political statement here. I'm trying to say that I don't know what the driving force behind your husband's behavior. I feel based on what I've read, that there's a whole lot of emotion behind it all. People will behave irrationally when they feel pushed to far and they become emotional. Are you to blame? Not directly necessarily. But the question is have you contributed an any way to his mindset?

My friend, I deal with it by not engaging ANY of his political posts. I let him know he's a friend and that I value him. But I do not give his political posts any attention.

I guess what I'm trying to say is when someone is emotional and irrational. You cannot combat with your own emotion. You have to de-escalate the situation by NOT being the counterpoint in ANY way. But also remaining steadfast that you are not going to be drawn into thier irrational energy. It definitely is a line you have to walk.

[Asker]

No, I haven't contributed to any of it.
I don't have political opinions, I don't have Facebook or social media, I work from home and take care of my daughter.

He spends his time watching Reels, following irrational people, and says I'm ignorant because I refuse to fall for that propaganda of misinformation.

[Avicenna]

That is strange behavior. What do people who know you both think?

[DrPepper12]

Leave him. He's been subsumed by the cult.

[Cristi019]

He's the problem. You're balanced, he's gone.

[Blueeyes81]

No you are not wrong.