How do you argue with anti-vaxxers who believe they’re on a noble mission?

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/20/how-do-you-argue-with-anti-vaxxers-who-believe-theyre-on-a-noble-mission

 Looking at the images from Melbourne this week, as nooses are strung from streetlights, it can be hard to accept many of these protestors are – or were – good, decent people. But this is a key part of the problem. Being a good person excuses so much in the name of a noble cause.

 A sense of righteous zeal means they feel they are at war, and so are justified in the most extreme actions. They can harass, they can abuse, they can spread half-truths in the name of their holy mission. They are doing this for the rest of us, fighting an injustice that nobody else can see. I hear a lot of “Why isn’t somebody doing something?” and “Why aren’t people angry about this?”

 This devotion to a cause brings with it a great emotional investment. Their noble mission – whether it’s being anti-vaccine or anti-lockdown measures – is a core part of their identity.