[Nursie]

I don't know. I had one or two friends come out as anti-vax IRL and we didn't have a discussion, instead my opinion of them just plummeted.

[DrScump]

Does someone who opposes media-driven thinking (with supporting science to show why) about any one vaccine get lumped into "anti-vaxxers" in your mind? Because that all-or-nothing thinking fallacy is a key symptom of the problem.

[Nursie]

If they have a factual basis for their views that's fine.

But in general I was talking about folks who have, for whatever reason, said things like "oh we're not vaccinating our children", meaning all vaccines.

There is no reasonable basis for this outlook.

[TeMPOraL]

Try to have that discussion. It's enlightening.

[Nursie]

In what sense?

The only thing it can really do is inform me what sort of bizarre misinformation they have bought into. Unlikely ever to repair the drop in my opinion.

[TeMPOraL]

I think you may find out that the "bizarre misinformation" is a bit more nuanced than you think, and the issue is not about facts at all.

I spent some time talking to antivaxxers; I've shared my impressions in a parallel subthread:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10878136

[Nursie]

I understand all that, that's not enlightening. I am well aware of the emotional motivations behind the position.

They dropped in my estimation because they allowed this emotional reaction to endanger their children.