What Motivates Conspiracy Theorists?

[LSSBB]

Ask one of the best himself. Ian Crane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzrvQnLpg9I

Heres some stuff on The Project For The New American Century, which you ought to know about if you ever felt unsure what made 911 so suspicous. Building 7 also seemed a bit strange, and the two towers. But most of all, 911 was the first really big wake up call for the whole world.

And yet, so many still sleep without a second thought... because of words like "conspiracy theorists" and how they are obviously just refering to a bunch of cooks....

Not sure if serious...

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

Anybody who can rig a dialysis machine to work in a cave could certainly pull off 9/11.

"Pulling off" 9/11 would require nothing more sophisticated than a command and control network (satellite phones) leading from the initial idea to motivated operatives and access to money to fund the operatives.

 

[Robrob]

"Pulling off" 9/11 would require nothing more sophisticated than a command and control network (satellite phones) leading from the initial idea to motivated operatives and access to money to fund the operatives.

Given that the "plan" was simple enough it could be written in a single paragraph, yeah. Money and secrecy were all it took. Heck, they didn't even have to use high tech or build things to go "boom."

 

[kblood]

Not sure if serious...

I am. Ian Crane is a serious researcher. He has asked all the questions, and keeps asking them. He gets shut down by mainstream media on a daily basis.

Which is WIN!

 

[Joey McGee]

I like how when you're laughed at for being so stupid and crazy that's more evidence that you're on to something. CTs are the ultimate ego rush, it never ends.

 

[abaddon]

I am. Ian Crane is a serious researcher. He has asked all the questions, and keeps asking them. He gets shut down by mainstream media on a daily basis.

Which is WIN!

Ian Crane is a crackpot. Nuclear detonation at the 2012 Olympics? Yeah, that really happened, right.

 

[threadworm]

I've no doubt that there are some well meaning and thoughtful CTs out there, and I've no doubt that many CTs genuinely believe what they're posting, but for me their motivation is ego.

The vast majority of posts I've seen indicate a lack of maturity - the poster has not progressed beyond the adolescent stage we all go through of "the whole world revolves around me" and that somehow we are destined for greatness if only we could get a break.

For people who haven't progressed beyond this stage to find ideas that tell them that the entire world is involved in conspiracy against them, and that they are now party to secret information that only the super special get to discover massages that ego and tells them they are still the centre of the universe.

That they also get to blame mysterious hidden forces for their failings in life and pile abuse on sectors of society that for no accountable reason (other than having paid attention in school and put some effort in at work) seem to be doing better than them is a bonus - they don't have to take any responsibility for themselves and get to blame 'Them' for everything that has gone wrong in their lives.

Their ego is flattered, their rightful position at the centre of things that are 'Important ' and 'matter' is justified, and they magically get to stop being marginalised misfits and are suddenly elevated above whichever group or groups they think are responsible for their totally iniquitous lack of riches, fame and glory.

Unfortunately instead of being the victims of Jews/Illuminati/CIA/Insert puppet master of choicer here, they are cynically exploited for money by people who manipulate them in a far worse way than the the society they think they've exposed.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Please forgive me in the likely event that this thread is started in the wrong sub forum, but really where else could I place it? This thread is started to determine what motivates conspiracy theorists.

I see a lot of suggestions that conspiracy theorists are either unhinged or inadequately educated and I wonder if these back handed dismissals might be unfair or at the least too shallow to actually address the problem. And I wonder if it might be a deeper, underlying sociological problem that cause conspiracy theorists to be. If that's the case might there be something that we, as a society, might be able to do about it?

I eagerly await everyone's thoughtful replies.

What motivates conspiracy theorists?

The desire to feel special.

All other motivations stem from that main (subconscious) impetus, such as:

• The desire to validate their worldview (Ouroboros);
• To be seen as bravely fighting "evil";
• To know things that not many people know;
• To be part of a subculture;
• To "fight the powers that be".

What do we, as society, do about it?

It pains me to say it, as I can be guilty of this, but we need stop marginalising CTists, since that feeds their self-isolation.

Insulting them just reinforces their self-image as a misunderstood genius.

I think the JREF Forum rules are conducive to guiding a CTist out of the rabbit hole.

We need to find common ground. Acknowledge their good points, while requesting solid evidence for their beliefs. "Attack the argument, not the arguer".

We need to set a good example and try not to commit logical fallacies ourselves, while pointing when and why they are making them.

Get them to question their own claims while they are questioning the "powers that be".

We should all be here to practice critical thinking. Take the aims of this website into the wider web and our daily lives, and discuss conspiracy theories in a "friendly and lively way", whilst "remaining civil and polite".

 

[kblood]

Ian Crane is a crackpot. Nuclear detonation at the 2012 Olympics? Yeah, that really happened, right.

If that ever was a plan, would it have been wise to prove him right? Just asking.

 

[kblood]

What motivates conspiracy theorists?

The desire to feel special.

All other motivations stem from that main (subconscious) impetus, such as:

• The desire to validate their worldview (Ouroboros);
• To be seen as bravely fighting "evil";
• To know things that not many people know;
• To be part of a subculture;
• To "fight the powers that be".

What do we, as society, do about it?

It pains me to say it, as I can be guilty of this, but we need stop marginalising CTists, since that feeds their self-isolation.

Insulting them just reinforces their self-image as a misunderstood genius.

I think the JREF Forum rules are conducive to guiding a CTist out of the rabbit hole.

We need to find common ground. Acknowledge their good points, while requesting solid evidence for their beliefs. "Attack the argument, not the arguer".

We need to set a good example and try not to commit logical fallacies ourselves, while pointing when and why they are making them.

Get them to question their own claims while they are questioning the "powers that be".

We should all be here to practice critical thinking. Take the aims of this website into the wider web and our daily lives, and discuss conspiracy theories in a "friendly and lively way", whilst "remaining civil and polite".

Oh... so thats the only reason? Riiight. Try doing this to Ian Crane. I did, and he proved to me, to be serious. He has done much more research than most people I know. Lots more. He used to work for the people who did terrible things for money and power. He is trying to even the scales.

But gratitude is not something he expects to get every day.

 

[Bishop]

Oh... so thats the only reason? Riiight. Try doing this to Ian Crane. I did, and he proved to me, to be serious. He has done much more research than most people I know. Lots more. He used to work for the people who did terrible things for money and power. He is trying to even the scales.

But gratitude is not something he expects to get every day.

Does he provide any evidence for his claims?

 

[abaddon]

Does he provide any evidence for his claims?

Perhaps a quick peek at his website may answer your questions.

 

[Robrob]

Oh... so thats the only reason? Riiight.

Well to be fair, some of them are simply ******* insane.

 

[The Platypus]

I am. Ian Crane is a serious researcher. He has asked all the questions, and keeps asking them. He gets shut down by mainstream media on a daily basis.

Which is WIN!

It maybe a win in the nutjob world. But not in the sane and thinking world, which is the one that really matters. He gets shut down becuase the media doesn't have time for delusional nonsense.

 

[Mudcat]

What do we, as society, do about it?

It pains me to say it, as I can be guilty of this, but we need stop marginalising CTists, since that feeds their self-isolation.

Insulting them just reinforces their self-image as a misunderstood genius.

I think the JREF Forum rules are conducive to guiding a CTist out of the rabbit hole.

We need to find common ground. Acknowledge their good points, while requesting solid evidence for their beliefs. "Attack the argument, not the arguer".

We need to set a good example and try not to commit logical fallacies ourselves, while pointing when and why they are making them.

Get them to question their own claims while they are questioning the "powers that be".

We should all be here to practice critical thinking. Take the aims of this website into the wider web and our daily lives, and discuss conspiracy theories in a "friendly and lively way", whilst "remaining civil and polite".

I agree 100%

 

[catsmate]

Does he provide any evidence for his claims?

Ian R Crane is an ex-oilfield executive who now lectures, writes and broadcasts on the geo-political webs that are being spun; with particular focus on US Hegemony and the NWO agenda for control of global resources.

Hmmmm.

 

[kellyb]

Dude's website is super-extra-scamalicious.

 

[CORed]

In general it's an ego thing; most CT believers are insignificant nobodies who use their supposed "special knowledge" to bolster their self image.

That, and they can blame the NWO, the Jews and/or the Freemasons, etc. rather than themselves for the fact that they are insignificant nobodies.

 

[BangBang]

If that ever was a plan, would it have been wise to prove him right? Just asking.

Another CT tactic. If it had happened as predicted he was right but as it didn't happen as predicted it also proves he was right.

He's a kook. Everything from 911, 7/7,The Illuminati, climate change denial and world de-population to nazi fluoride in the concentration camps.

 

[dafydd]

Perhaps a quick peek at his website may answer your questions.

What a nutter!