{"id":117957,"date":"2023-11-13T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T19:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=117957"},"modified":"2023-11-22T10:59:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T14:59:37","slug":"call-bs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you recognize lies and misinformation, do you call them out? Do you have the guts to do it but lack the skills to counter false claims?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West acknowledge that identifying bullshit alone isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. To that end, they share several techniques for calling bullshit so that others don\u2019t fall for it: Construct a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/reduction-to-absurdity\/\">reductio ad absurdum<\/a>, provide counterexamples, and use clarifying analogies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more to learn how to call BS and keep misinformation at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-call-bs\"><strong>How to Call BS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bergstrom and West <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-bullshit\/\">define bullshit<\/a> as the use of misleading evidence, without regard for the truth, to sway an audience by confusing or overwhelming them.&nbsp;This definition, they point out, has two key aspects. First, the bullshitter appeals to evidence that <em>obscures <\/em>the truth, rather than illuminating it. For example, this might involve using bombastic language that makes it difficult for an audience to follow the argument. Alternatively, this could involve using statistics or data taken out of context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s explore three strategies for calling BS that Bergstrom and West recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategy-1-construct-a-reductio-ad-absurdum\">Strategy #1: Construct a <em>Reductio ad Absurdum<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bergstrom and West explain that a <em>reductio ad absurdum <\/em>(\u201creduction to absurdity\u201d) can be a powerful tool for calling BS. Constructing a <em>reductio ad absurdum<\/em> involves showing that a claim has an obviously false consequence, and thus logically cannot be true. For example, imagine that you read an op-ed arguing that parents should have absolutely no restrictions on how they choose to raise their children. In this case, you could construct a <em>reductio ad absurdum<\/em> pointing out that this op-ed\u2019s view implies that parents should have the right to abuse or neglect their children. Because this implication is ridiculous, the original view must be false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy #2: Provide Counterexamples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A similar technique for calling BS involves providing <em>counterexamples <\/em>to bullshit claims. To provide a counterexample, <strong>point out a situation in which a bullshit theory or claim makes a false prediction<\/strong>. For instance, if someone made the sweeping claim that you <em>must<\/em> get a college education to make a good living, you could provide a counterexample by pointing to the many millionaire entrepreneurs who don\u2019t have degrees. Counterexamples thus provide a simple way to refute bullshit generalizations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Although Bergstrom and West write as if counterexamples are wholly distinct from <em>reductio ad absurdum<\/em>, the two are actually close relatives. After all, we can understand counterexamples as exposing an absurd consequence of a given view. For instance, the counterexample of millionaires without college degrees underscores a false consequence of the view that you need a college education to be successful\u2014namely, that all millionaires have college degrees.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategy #3: Use Clarifying Analogies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, Bergstrom and West argue that analogies can be a useful tool for shedding light on bullshit that hides in seemingly plausible claims. To provide an analogy that exposes bullshit in an argument, <strong>create an argument that parallels the bullshit argument but is clearly invalid<\/strong>. For example, imagine that several parents defended the decision to spank children on the grounds that they had spanked their children without any adverse effects. To underscore why this argument is bullshit, you could offer an analogous defense of drunk driving that notes that many people who drive drunk don\u2019t get into car crashes. This analogy makes it clear that just because a practice <em>sometimes <\/em>has no adverse effects, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a good practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Philosophers have identified a <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/reasoning-analogy\/#ComGui\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wide array of commonsense guidelines<\/a> for assessing how strongly an analogy supports a given conclusion. For example, analogies between two arguments (or domains) that have deep structural similarities are more powerful than those between two arguments which are only superficially similar. Further, providing multiple apt analogies is more persuasive because, while you might find one analogy by sheer coincidence, you\u2019re less likely to find several analogies by chance alone.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: Practice Calling BS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In their book, Bergstrom and West provide an array of strategies both for <em>identifying <\/em>and <em>calling <\/em>BS. In this exercise, practice implementing these strategies to refute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/bullshit-media\/\">bullshit online<\/a> and in the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Think about some recent news stories you\u2019ve encountered that seem likely to contain bullshit. Describe some of the specific claims you think might be bullshit.<\/li><li>Pick one of Bergstrom and West\u2019s three strategies for refuting bullshit (construct a <em>reductio ad absurdum<\/em>, provide counterexamples, use clarifying analogies) to call BS on the claim. Why do you think the strategy you chose is effective?<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you recognize lies and misinformation, do you call them out? Do you have the guts to do it but lack the skills to counter false claims? Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West acknowledge that identifying bullshit alone isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. To that end, they share several techniques for calling bullshit so that others don\u2019t fall for it: Construct a reductio ad absurdum, provide counterexamples, and use clarifying analogies. Read more to learn how to call BS and keep misinformation at bay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":117964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,21,43],"tags":[1331],"class_list":["post-117957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-philosophy","category-self-improvement","tag-calling-bullshit","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\"},\"wordCount\":762,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Calling Bullshit\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Communication\",\"Philosophy\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\",\"name\":\"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit - Shortform Books","description":"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit","og_description":"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit","datePublished":"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/"},"wordCount":762,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","keywords":["Calling Bullshit"],"articleSection":["Communication","Philosophy","Self-Improvement"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/","name":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","datePublished":"2023-11-13T19:03:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-22T14:59:37+00:00","description":"Recognizing bullshit isn\u2019t enough to mitigate its spread. Learn several techniques for calling BS so that others don\u2019t fall for it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","width":1200,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/call-bs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Call BS: 3 Practical Strategies for Refuting Bullshit"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/skeptical-man-with-raised-eyebrow.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117957"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117981,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117957\/revisions\/117981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}