Why People Believe in Conspiracies

[JollyRoger]

Im asking this because we have what seems to be a professes of Psychology on my favorite conspiracy site where a bunch of nuts including myself get together and have fun with the popular conspiracies of the day. Now im not sure what kinda answer he aspects to get their and I know the people here are as smart as as they are skeptical so Im hoping you guys can help me out.

So in your opinion Randi.org member, why do people believe in conspiracies

 

[Sledge]

Because they're idiots.

 

[Saggy]

Im asking this because we have what seems to be a professes of Psychology on my favorite conspiracy site where a bunch of nuts including myself get together and have fun with the popular conspiracies of the day. Now im not sure what kinda answer he aspects to get their and I know the people here are as smart as as they are skeptical so Im hoping you guys can help me out.

So in your opinion Randi.org member, why do people believe in conspiracies

Only a complete fool would dismiss conspiracies generally. Sad to say, the hoi polloi is made up of complete fools.

I recently saw a vid on conspiracies, leading off with Iran/Contragate .... a conspiracy complete with Senate hearings, prosecutions, of major consequence in terms of US foreign policy and life and death for Latin Americans, involving the highest levels of the US govt. and military, exposed and broadcast day after day on the major media .......and yet .... the yahoo's, i.e. the Randi sceptics, say .... what conspiracies?

I looked a bit and found the video, you should watch it and recommend it to anyone who dismisses conspiracies ....

War by Deception 2011 (Full Movie) Dismantling the Hidden American Enemies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGDJtyxlLmQ

 

[TSR]

Only a complete fool would dismiss conspiracies generally. Sad to say, the hoi polloi is made up of complete fools.

I recently saw a vid on conspiracies, leading off with Iran/Contragate .... a conspiracy complete with Senate hearings, prosecutions, of major consequence in terms of US foreign policy and life and death for Latin Americans, involving the highest levels of the US govt. and military, exposed and broadcast day after day on the major media .......and yet .... the yahoo's, i.e. the Randi sceptics, say .... what conspiracies?

.
You can, of course, cite several posters here dismissing conspiracies in general?



No?





Maybe there's a conspiracy to leave those posts up just long enough for Saggs to read them, and then delete them so zie cannot actually quote anyone in support of zir sneer.
.

 

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

Most people who profess to believe in conspiracies, don't actually believe all that seriously. I suspect it's just a way for people to have a little fun, thinking they're in on something big, while everyone else is stuck in the dark. Just my opinion, anyway.

 

[mysteronyx]

Ignorance of logistics is a major factor. For example, if a conspiracy involves the government, then a thorough understanding of how that sector of government works is crucial. It's much easier to believe in the government poisoning the water when you don't understand all of the elements needed to implement such a mandate. Not only does this example require an understanding of government, but there's a social dilemma, as well. How would the government officials protect their family members from drinking the poisoned supply? Who's making sure the poisoned and non-poisoned supplies are remaining separate? How does the government keep everyone quiet about the poisoning?

The logistics required to pull off most if not all of the government conspiracy theories is incomprehensible to most people. For that reason, it's easier to imagine their possibility.

 

[jargon buster]

Because they need to blame someone for their shortcomings in life.
They have nothing of value to contribute so they latch onto nonsense because they feel it gives them "inside information" that gives them power.

 

[sadhatter]

Only a complete fool would dismiss conspiracies generally. Sad to say, the hoi polloi is made up of complete fools.

I recently saw a vid on conspiracies, leading off with Iran/Contragate .... a conspiracy complete with Senate hearings, prosecutions, of major consequence in terms of US foreign policy and life and death for Latin Americans, involving the highest levels of the US govt. and military, exposed and broadcast day after day on the major media .......and yet .... the yahoo's, i.e. the Randi sceptics, say .... what conspiracies?

I looked a bit and found the video, you should watch it and recommend it to anyone who dismisses conspiracies ....

War by Deception 2011 (Full Movie) Dismantling the Hidden American Enemies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGDJtyxlLmQ

[/roostercogburn] I swear, if i ever meet a CT'er that doesn't try and make his point by throwing up a youtube video i am going to buy him a 50 dollar cigar. [/roostercogburn]

 

[Johny2x4]

I learned over time because they don´t like the chaos in the world and therefore believe something is creating all this chaos.

 

[sadhatter]

People believe in them because they are more entertaining than reality, and some people really feel the need to believe in something.

Some simply cannot deal with the fact that daily life is kind of mundane, and much in the same way i get together with my friends and play d and d, they get together with like minded individuals and talk about conspiracies. The only difference being in D&D, one of the key points of the game is that you know it is not real. But with ct's , one of the key points of the game is to say it is real.

They both have striking similarities. Both involve one person telling a group about a villain that intends to do something horrible, and that they are the only people who can stop it. Both involve a hearty social element, ( even if it is online.), both involve the 'players' taking the role of hero, and both require one, for a time to suspend disbelief in an obviously silly premise. The difference being, in D&D it stops once the game does.

 

[drkitten]

Because they need to blame someone for their shortcomings in life.

This.

To the OP, if you're really dealing with a professor of psychology, steer him to the work of Julian Rotter on the concept of "Locus of Control."

CT'ers tend to have a strongly external locus of control; i.e. nothing that happens to them is under their own control, so it must be someone else that is causing bad things to happen to them.

A few hundred years ago, such people would have blamed witchcraft; today, they blame the New World Order.

 

[drkitten]

Duplicate; ignore.

 

[beachnut]

ignorance

 

[Pup]

This.

To the OP, if you're really dealing with a professor of psychology, steer him to the work of Julian Rotter on the concept of "Locus of Control."

CT'ers tend to have a strongly external locus of control; i.e. nothing that happens to them is under their own control, so it must be someone else that is causing bad things to happen to them.

A few hundred years ago, such people would have blamed witchcraft; today, they blame the New World Order.

I think that's got to be a big part of it.

Also, since my father was a paranoid schizophrenic, I got to see a lot of examples of extreme conspiracy theories first-hand. I think there's something in the brain that causes people to over-recognize patterns and influences. It could range from a very mild tendency that might even be beneficial and would certainly be considered within the range of normal and sane, to an extreme that makes functioning in daily life almost impossible.

Conspiracy theorists' insistence that they have unique knowledge, that others are blind or in denial or covering up, their fascination with interpreting evidence only a certain way, and all that kind of thing, seem so similar to the way my father behaved, except he generally took it to a far greater degree and it affected all areas of his life.

I think conspiracy theorists have this tendency to a degree that's above average, but well below the line of mentally ill, in the vast majority of cases. Still, it makes them notice and believe in the importance of things, that don't seem all that important or sinister to a person without the tendency.

 

[Horatius]

I think that's got to be a big part of it.

Also, since my father was a paranoid schizophrenic, I got to see a lot of examples of extreme conspiracy theories first-hand. I think there's something in the brain that causes people to over-recognize patterns and influences. It could range from a very mild tendency that might even be beneficial and would certainly be considered within the range of normal and sane, to an extreme that makes functioning in daily life almost impossible.

That's definitely a factor. Being able to discern concealed patterns is essential when you're looking for a deer in the forest, or a tiger in the jungle. And in those cases, it usually costs less to see a pattern that isn't there, than to miss a pattern that is there.

Taken to an extreme, though, you end up seeing tigers everywhere, and eventually people start ignoring you, even if you see a real tiger.

 

[LightinDarkness]

Im asking this because we have what seems to be a professes of Psychology on my favorite conspiracy site where a bunch of nuts including myself get together and have fun with the popular conspiracies of the day. Now im not sure what kinda answer he aspects to get their and I know the people here are as smart as as they are skeptical so Im hoping you guys can help me out.

So in your opinion Randi.org member, why do people believe in conspiracies

What if I told you that there were two primary ways to explain world events?

Theory 1: The first is that most world events (and by world events I'm talking about political events, most natural disasters, etc.) that happen cannot be foreseen, are are due to forces mostly beyond our control, and that by and large you are responsible for your life and impact on the world.

Theory 2: There is a massive shadowy cabal behind world events, guiding every political action. Every natural disaster is caused by some government conspiracy or weapon. You are not responsible for anything in your life, because your station in life is pre-determined by the shadowy cabal and you can do nothing but fight against it on the internet by speaking truth to power.

Which of these do you want to believe?

Its far easier to want to believe theory 2, because it absolves me of doing anything but raging against the MAN. Theory 2 is the conspiracy worldview. Its much more difficult to accept theory 1, because that means I am responsible for my life.

 

[little grey rabbit]

While there are altruistic, nuturing and creative aspects of human evolutionary psychology, it is pointless to deny there are also destructive, selfish, cheating, greedy, deceitful and conspirational aspects to human evolutionary psychology.

Both the positive and negative aspects of human evolutionary psychology arose for just one reason, they provide evolutionary advantage.

It some circumstances it is evolutionary advantageous to be altruistic towards one's fellows, it some circumstances it is advantageous to be deceitful - particularly towards those of out-groups or of greater genetic distance.

As human society becomes more complex and multi-layered, so too does our means of expressing these evolutionary evolved psychological traits - both the positive and the negative.

 

[TheRedWorm]

Because it's easier than thinking.

 

[Nosi]

[/roostercogburn] I swear, if i ever meet a CT'er that doesn't try and make his point by throwing up a youtube video i am going to buy him a 50 dollar cigar. [/roostercogburn]

Those are what float YouTube's financial boat, as copyright infringement isn't legal.

 

[erwinl]

What if I told you that there were two primary ways to explain world events?

Theory 1: The first is that most world events (and by world events I'm talking about political events, most natural disasters, etc.) that happen cannot be foreseen, are are due to forces mostly beyond our control, and that by and large you are responsible for your life and impact on the world.

Theory 2: There is a massive shadowy cabal behind world events, guiding every political action. Every natural disaster is caused by some government conspiracy or weapon. You are not responsible for anything in your life, because your station in life is pre-determined by the shadowy cabal and you can do nothing but fight against it on the internet by speaking truth to power.

Which of these do you want to believe?

Its far easier to want to believe theory 2, because it absolves me of doing anything but raging against the MAN. Theory 2 is the conspiracy worldview. Its much more difficult to accept theory 1, because that means I am responsible for my life.

This.

I suspect it is also because it gives some comfort 'knowing' that there is some shadowy group in power. Sure it is evil, but at least somebody is at the helm of mankind. The thought that there is nobody at the helm, that there is no helm at all is too scary to contemplate.