This is correct, I use this method a lot in my work with the disabled. Often with clients that struggle with mental health, it's important to redirect negative thoughts and feelings, but you have to do this without jumping to condescending or infantilising language.

The easiest way is to empathize with acknowledging it as worthy of the space it's taking up and offering up something related that I might worry about. Then redirect with a similar subject, but framed in a way that gives more power over it. Maybe a news article that pointed out how is being solved by someone, or overcome, or even simply made fun of.

If you can laugh at something for being ridiculous it has less power.

You don't need to change their belief in you just need to redirect it and reframe it, they will then have a different mental relationship with it later, and over time change.

This is true in my experience. People are extremely mimetic and validation driven. If someone respects you, they listen and imitate. It can actually be frustrating to me as an adult, because I don't find the aphorism "imitation is the finest form of flattery" to be flattering in many cases. It can start to look manipulative or lazy when it's middle-aged adults floundering for approval.

But your point stands: respect is an effective platform from which to share ideas. So many folks close off their minds, because they are lonely or otherwise insecure. If you can positively move either of those needles, they listen. From there, the only question is whether they truly internalize the idea, or whether they are chasing the feels of socialization.

Wow! Thanks for the link. You've brightened my evening a bit.

I would never discourage anyone from trying this, but do you think people haven't already? Most of these people are lost. Their brains have been turned to mush. This shit does not work on them.