Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories?

by adjusted knowledge 43 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Billyblobber

  Skepticism and conspiracy theory-ing are not the same thing. It's the difference between wondering and making bold statements.

  Wondering if there was something more to 9-11 (ie. the government allowing the attacks to happen, whatever) is one thing. As long as it's just "wondering," it's fine. And if actual evidence actually comes out to support that view, then it's not a conspiracy theory, but actual fact.

  However, making definitive statements, like, "it was faked" is stupid because there's no real evidence existing for that. The latter is what the point of the topic is, and it mostly comes from people with a lack of success attempting to build their ego in other ways.
• 

  adjusted knowledge

  According to a pair of new studies published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, conspiracy theorists—and there are a lot more of them than you may think—tend to have one thing in common: they feel a lack of control over their lives.

  So several of you agree with these experts and feel it is about control.
  

  Source:

  Time.com. (8/17/2015). Here’s Why People Believe In Conspiracy Theories. . Time Magazine.
• 

  cantleave

  As with everything don't believe what you read at face value. Challenge everything, fact check everything, examine both sides and apply Occum's razor.

  By doing this most CT's are found to be total BS, some are as barmy as they are unprovable.....but occasionally there is more than a grain of truth........
• 

  Oubliette

  This is a very interesting observation:
  

  Distracted: if you say you believe [9/11} happened just the way the government says it happened, you do believe in a conspiracy theory ... it's just that you believe the official version

  Especially taken in light of Cofty's comment:

  Cofty: If you ever get into a conversation with conspiracy nuts they very quickly become abusive and arrogant. Their ego is fed by the delusion that they know better than everybody else.

  So clearly, there are delusional egos on both sides of many of these controversies.
  
• 

  Oubliette

  Q: Would the US government ever do something illegal?

  A: Iran-Contra. Now there's a conspiracy theory that turned out to be true.
  
• 

  Oubliette

  EOM: WTC 7 ....

  A lot of very credible scientists, architects and engineers have issues with that one. You may appreciate this.
  
• 

  Oubliette

  cantleave: Challenge everything, fact check everything, examine both sides and apply Occum's razor.

  Generally a good strategy, but we must be careful with Occam's razor. It gave us a flat earth and a geocentric universe.

  Check this out:
  

  Conspiracy Test: Occam's Razor
• 

  Clambake

  I haven't read the article but I have a couple of ideas.

  I think it's a childish desire to know that there is something in control of everything.

  There may also be a strong element of narcissism. If you ever get into a conversation with conspiracy nuts they very quickly become abusive and arrogant. Their ego is fed by the delusion that they know better than everybody else.

  My patience with conspiracy sorts is nil.

  Holy Crap. I actually agreed with you for once.

  Too bad you couldn't actually see those qualities in yourself.
• 

  Oubliette

  "Conspiracy theories wouldn’t exist in a world in which real conspiracies don’t exist." - Kathryn Olmsted, historian at the University of California, Davis
  
• 

  Oubliette

  Here's another interesting tidbit from the article referenced in the OP:

  The Backfire Effect - Efforts to debunk inaccurate political information can leave people more convinced that false information is true than they would have been otherwise.

  We should keep this in mind when we attempt to talk to "still-in" JWs about TTATT.

  When we point out anything wrong with the religion to someone that is not ready to hear it, we will likely only convince them they are right and we are an apostate. Weird, but true.