Why Do People Believe Conspiracy Theories?

Why do so many people like to entertain conspiracy theories? Is it that people need to feel “in the know” when faced with their lack of knowledge? Is it a way for people to regain control of the narrative in a world of readily available information? Is the anti-expert wave we’ve seen as people trust Google more than peer reviewed science? Is it to create a world in which they are the victim and did nothing wrong?

Obviously, these can have different levels of harm. If you believe the moon landing was faked some people may think you’re weird. If you refuse your kids traditional medicine or vaccines then you put them and other children at risk. Ultimately people will believe what they want, and as long as they do not put others at risk I guess they should be free to do so.

The term “conspiracy theory” was invented by the CIA to prevent disbelief of official government stories.

Why do so many people entertain government stories? Is it that people need to feel safe and mentally comfortable instead of being faced with their lack of knowledge? Is it a way for people to regain control of the narrative in a world of decentralized intelligence gathering? Is it the anti-critical thinking wave we’ve seen as people trust a centrally planned narrative that serves a narrow few more than easily observable objective facts that do not fit the spoon-fed narrative?

Obviously, these can have different levels of harm. If you believe Kennedy was killed by a lone gunman, some people may think you’re a sheep. If you refuse to protect your kids from poisonous vaccines then you put them at risk (and should be prosecuted imo). Ultimately most people will believe what is mentally comfortable and makes them feel good/safe/accepted, and as long as they do not put others at risk I guess they should be free to do so.

^Ok, interesting points. I will take them under advisement.

Its most likely a neuro disorder resulting in delusion, detachment from reality and caused by anxiety, stress, or a variety of other things in the DSM V. I presume lack of fulfillment in current phase of life causing stress and then inventing new realities centered around somewhat exciting topics that would leave one to believe that one’s life is no longer without form, but the person is in the middle of a very important unfolding drama with a role in society to be the interpreter for the greater benefit of the human race. This gives the person special purpose and authority as they have found the ‘keys’ or underlying conspiracies that explain certain facets of history or society. They are now important. Their purposeless life now has meaning. Except, that this newfound meaning is not grounded in reality.

ACE projecting his psych issues onto others again. None of that applies to me. All of it applies to you. I pray you find the strength to take an honest look at yourself. I’m going to meditate now to continue on my journey of self discovery. Peace and love to you all :wink:

I think today’s politics is like sports. Everybody has their own team (see tribalism). Also, everyone disagrees with the penalty call when it’s against their team but rejoices when it’s against the opposing. Conspiracy theories are just the scuttlebutt that rarely come true but give people so much gratification because they appear to have “the answers.”

i have a friend that was very smart in ms and hs. he became really unsuccesful in life though and became jaded. now he talks a lot about conspiracies. im thinking this is why he does this. dont really know though. but i do enjoy his posts as it is often controversial and a lot of ppl get really heated which i enjoy watching. i never contribute on fb. ppl tell me to check him when talking to me 1on 1, and im like nah i admire that he speaks his mind esp cuz its so far out there. “flat earth” har har har. the man is rollin in the deep!

Turd every time Alex Jones releases a new video.

“Conspiracy theories are for losers,” says Joseph Uscinski, associate professor of political science at the University of Miami and co-author of the 2014 book American Conspiracy Theories. Uscinski stresses that he uses the term literally, not pejoratively. “People who have lost an election, money or influence look for something to explain that loss.”

“In this case, conspiracy theories can be like emotional poultices,” says Joseph Parent, a professor of political science at Notre Dame University and Uscinski’s co-author. “You don’t want to blame yourself for things you may lack, so you blame anonymous forces instead.”

“Just as important in fostering conspiracies is a desire to be special or different — and that’s a need that cuts across demographic lines. In a study published in May 2017 in the European Journal of Social Psychology, provocatively titled “Too Special to Be Duped,” subjects either took a survey designed to measure their desire for uniqueness or wrote an essay on the importance of independent thought. By significant margins, those who tested high on the need to be special or were primed to feel that way by writing the essay were also more inclined to believe in various conspiracy theories.

http://time.com/4965093/conspiracy-theories-beliefs/

I haven’t watched an Alex Jones video in months. He’s what you call a limited hangout. Someone/something is keeping from talking about the whole truth. He knows as evidenced below but won’t explore it on the air on his show

[video:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAh0r4C6Q2Q]

people don’t yet realize that just like there is fake news (including the cabal rag Time), there is fake science, both serving the same interests.

Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the day, cw

^ditto

Why? Because just like everyone else, the government has things that it doesn’t want the public to know. Also, many people can’t handle the truth; there’d be chaos if the truth got out about some things. It’s ok to believe in conspiracy theories as long as you don’t go to far with them. For example, I believe the MLK assassination was an inside job, but that’s because of what family members of mine who worked in law enforcement in Memphis at the time told me.

I was recently dumbfounded when I met a golfer who thinks WW2 was fake…I thought it was a joke, but he legitimately believes it and will get angry when you tell him it happened.

“Passionate hate can give meaning and purpose to an empty life.”

- Eric Hoffer

I personally suspect we are curious by nature and finding out new information must have been helpful for survival. As a result, everyone has a desire to be in the know and see connections others don’t.

For anyone keeping track I think it’s time to mark one down for Turd re: ETI disclosure which I said at least 4-5 months ago would be coming in short order. NYT articles confirming, Pentagon officials speaking up, its here. Much much more to come. Maybe my sources are pretty good?

the more important thing here is that (((they))) are going to try and disclose as little as possible, just enough to distract from the complete take down of congress and the corruption in the 3 letter agencies. But have no fear. There’s an army of us truth tellers that won’t let this happen.

Why do some people believe conspiracy theories? Joe Rogan put it best (I’m paraphrasing here): “Some people are born with big ears and some people with little ears. Some people are born with brains that are made of dog sh!t.”

The are multiple things going on…

  1. the complexity level of deception in the United States is very high, so any analysis of what’s going on will be complicated, 2) a strategy to dismiss analyses is thus “haha sounds complicated, like a conspiracy theory!”, 3) scientific research is funded 70%+ by corporations and is largely propaganda, 4) the media is 90% corporate owned and is largely propaganda, 5) the tech age, see corporate tech (Google, FB, TWTR), 6) mental illness is very high, 5) postmodernism says “reality is just an opinion”.

As always, everything in the states comes back to corporatism and postmodernism , that is the correct analysis. But, see all of the above, and so…“sounds like a conspiracy theory!”.

Anyhow, it has totally exploded over the last 15 years. You now have InfoWars, “Russia hacked the election”, a “wave of white supremacists are hiding in the bushes”, America has been taken over by “a surge in misogyny”, Breitbart.

It’s the counter-enlightenment.