The PAUSE Card

The Skeptic's Toolkit tells you what to ask.

PAUSE tells you how to be in the room long enough to ask it.

Most people who try to correct health misinformation use facts first. They cite studies. They list counterpoints. And they watch the person across from them shut down completely, not because the facts were wrong, but because nobody wants to feel cross-examined by someone they trust.

PAUSE is the protocol that comes before the facts. It is five steps that take thirty seconds and keep a conversation from becoming a fight.

P — Pause. Curiosity, not combat. Do not respond yet.

A — Ask the source. Where did you see that?

U — Understand the bar. What would change your mind if this were wrong? If the answer is nothing, flip the card. Use the Toolkit.

S — Search together. Look it up right now, before either of you digs in.

E — Evaluate together. Not to win. Not to lose. To know.

Download, print, and keep it. Use it when the conversation matters more than being right.

It fits in your wallet. Pull it out when you need it.

Take as directed by the evidence. | roottorx.com