There are many "Charlie Chaplins" in today's world

- The key is not to fall for their pranks.

When I was a child, my father told me about a Chaplin episode that I still remember clearly to this day.

In this episode, Chaplin makes money by having his son secretly break the windows in the neighborhood, and then "helping" by offering his services as a window repairman.

Anne Sophie Hermansen reminds me, in some way, of Chaplin and that particular story. I didn’t know who she was until I happened to see her post in my feed about anti-Semitism and an Israeli who was denied an apartment.

In the same post, she writes that Jews are threatened by Muslim healthcare workers and suggests that there are Muslim doctors in Denmark who pose a danger to Jewish patients by prioritizing their Muslim faith over the Hippocratic Oath and Danish law.

I was surprised to read the post, but far more surprised by the way she both responds to and ignores the comments.

Among the comments she does not respond to is one written by a doctor who rightly asks about the specific scenarios Anne imagines taking place in Danish hospitals, where doctors with a Muslim background may pose or have posed a danger to patients. In the instances where she does respond, she emphasizes the seriousness of anti-Semitism.

There is no denying that anti-Semitism is a problem. But another problem is that she does not address comments asking for specific examples or sources to support her claim that there is a group of doctors and other healthcare professionals of Muslim background who pose a real danger to patients of Jewish background.

Many people have shown their appreciation for the post by liking it, and a handful have shared it.

Among others, an ethics advisor shared the post with the caption “Our democracy is under pressure,” and a journalist and communications specialist shared the post with a comment that read: “There is something growing that shouldn’t be growing.”

Of course, people are free to like and share whatever they want, but I’m left wondering: Are they referring to the Israeli camp, or to the still-unsubstantiated accusation that doctors with a Muslim background, solely because of their religious background, pose a danger to patients?

The day after the post went up, Anne closed the comments section. This is not meant to attack Anne, because this isn't just about her. What concerns me is that there are many "Charlie Chaplins" out there today.

By “Chaplins,” I mean public figures who take advantage of real societal challenges by saying controversial things that sound bold and courageous, but who do so in a way that only makes matters worse and bolsters their position.

Make no mistake: There are people like Chaplin in various social groups.

There are people like Chaplin who claim to be fighting for feminism, against racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and other causes. What they have in common is not their gender, religion, nationality, or anything of that sort; rather, it is the fact that they are driven by self-promotion.

They follow the same strategy when it comes to their approach: They identify a problem, amplify it, simplify it, and create a bogeyman image of “the others.” This polarizing perspective works for them because it results in a one-sided debate in which those who weigh in are either for or against.

The Chaplins come across as people who dare to speak their minds, and their controversial nature is appreciated by those who see truth in their views.

The problem is not made any better by the fact that those who strongly disagree feel a “need” for their Chaplin, who can point to another Chaplin and say, “It’s them against us.”

The consequence? That real social problems are not solved, but instead various groups are formed in which people rally around or against Chaplin based on specific views or ideologies.

Everyone loses, except Chaplin, who ends up with plenty to do.

So, what can we do? I have two suggestions, and they only work together.

We must be critical of our sources:

When someone presents a mix of true and false information, you might end up believing it all. This is also called “truthiness.” Truthiness refers to the feeling that something you’ve been told is credible because some of it is actually true, even if some of it isn’t.

We must therefore be careful not to simply accept what “feels” true, and be better at verifying whether the facts we’re presented with can be supported by evidence or source citations. Of course, it’s perfectly fine to write about something you have an opinion on, but if you refer to an anecdote and present it as the truth, it must be supported by facts.

I’d also like to encourage us to be critical about who we allow to “influence” us. This is something I’m personally mindful of. It’s not much different from if we were having a problem with our partner or someone at work. We’d be best served by choosing someone who can offer us constructive perspectives without being either overly negative or overly positive. That would help us see things more clearly and find the best way to solve our problems.

And on to my next suggestion.

2. We must have the courage to talk to one another.

We are human beings, and we have prejudices and biases; we shouldn’t try to control or suppress them—nothing good comes of that. Many people believe that the opposite of “saying what I want” is political correctness. My goal is not to return to the political correctness of years past.

The reason we’re so politically incorrect today is that we were far too politically correct for a long time. We went from not talking about the problems at all to talking about them today without thinking about how to do so constructively.

Chaplins thrive on attention and influence in situations where frustration and a buildup of inner discomfort already exist. This is because they serve as an emotional outlet for others, as they come across as people who dare to speak their minds and refuse to be suppressed.

That’s why there’s no getting around the fact that we need to get better at expressing what we truly think and feel, and commit to giving others the space to do the same.

We need to show each other that we’re allowed to have our own opinions and point out things we find problematic without being labeled as fundamentalists, racists, Islamophobes, anti-Semites, or the like.

Because if we fail to create a space for those conversations in society and in the public debate, there will be a vacuum that someone like Chaplin would love to exploit to his own advantage.

The end.