Bad Thinkers: Why Conspiracy Theorists Believe Far Fetched Conspiracies

[skillzdadirecta]

This is a great read and something to be aware of as we go through this Pandemic.

 

Quote

Meet Oliver. Like many of his friends, Oliver thinks he is an expert on 9/11. He spends much of his spare time looking at conspiracist websites and his research has convinced him that the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, of 11 September 2001 were an inside job. The aircraft impacts and resulting fires couldn’t have caused the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to collapse. The only viable explanation, he maintains, is that government agents planted explosives in advance. He realises, of course, that the government blames Al-Qaeda for 9/11 but his predictable response is pure Mandy Rice-Davies: they would say that, wouldn’t they?

 

Polling evidence suggests that Oliver’s views about 9/11 are by no means unusual. Indeed, peculiar theories about all manner of things are now widespread. There are conspiracy theories about the spread of AIDS, the 1969 Moon landings, UFOs, and the assassination of JFK. Sometimes, conspiracy theories turn out to be right – Watergate really was a conspiracy – but mostly they are bunkum. They are in fact vivid illustrations of a striking truth about human beings: however intelligent and knowledgeable we might be in other ways, many of us still believe the strangest things. You can find people who believe they were abducted by aliens, that the Holocaust never happened, and that cancer can be cured by positive thinking. A 2009 Harris Poll found that between one‑fifth and one‑quarter of Americans believe in reincarnation, astrology and the existence of witches. You name it, and there is probably someone out there who believes it.

 

You realise, of course, that Oliver’s theory about 9/11 has little going for it, and this might make you wonder why he believes it. The question ‘Why does Oliver believe that 9/11 was an inside job?’ is just a version of a more general question posed by the US skeptic Michael Shermer: why do people believe weird things? The weirder the belief, the stranger it seems that someone can have it. Asking why people believe weird things isn’t like asking why they believe it’s raining as they look out of the window and see the rain pouring down. It’s obvious why people believe it’s raining when they have compelling evidence, but it’s far from obvious why Oliver believes that 9/11 was an inside job when he has access to compelling evidence that it wasn’t an inside job.

 

I want to argue for something which is controversial, although I believe that it is also intuitive and commonsensical. My claim is this: Oliver believes what he does because that is the kind of thinker he is or, to put it more bluntly, because there is something wrong with how he thinks. The problem with conspiracy theorists is not, as the US legal scholar Cass Sunstein argues, that they have little relevant information. The key to what they end up believing is how they interpret and respond to the vast quantities of relevant information at their disposal. I want to suggest that this is fundamentally a question of the way they are. Oliver isn’t mad (or at least, he needn’t be). Nevertheless, his beliefs about 9/11 are the result of the peculiarities of his intellectual constitution – in a word, of his intellectual character.

 

That's an excerpt from the article... it's a long read but definitely a good one.

[SaysWho?]

13 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This is a great read and something to be aware of as we go through this Pandemic.

 

 

That's an excerpt from the article... it's a long read but definitely a good one.

 

Just to be sure, was this for The Asylum or intended for the current events board?

 

I'm gonna take a look because I'm fascinated at them not just believing weird conspiracy theories, but what happens when you easily take down poorly thought out talking points and "evidence" for these far-fetched conspiracies -- they not only think of an explanation to try to reason through it, but they go all-in and 100% believe an explanation they just made up 2 minutes ago. 

[Bacon]

Epstein's 9/11 was a blowjob

[skillzdadirecta]

I put it on The Asylum because I didn't know where else to out it... it's not really current events because the article was originally published in 2015 but if you think it's more appropriate to be on the Current Events Board, feel free to move it.

[Remarkableriots]

@skillzdadirecta You just trying to cover up the truth for the man! 

Did they send you a PS 5 to give us this fake news? We want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! 

[Keyser_Soze]

Topic is too serious for this board and a lot of people that you want to see it won’t see it  

[SaysWho?]

5 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I put it on The Asylum because I didn't know where else to out it... it's not really current events because the article was originally published in 2015 but if you think it's more appropriate to be on the Current Events Board, feel free to move it.

 

I gotcha. I thought you posted it because people are posting conspiracies online that this worldwide virus that has affected numerous countries is all centered around Trump and a plot to destroy him. It seemed timely.

[skillzdadirecta]

9 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

 

I gotcha. I thought you posted it because people are posting conspiracies online that this worldwide virus that has affected numerous countries is all centered around Trump and a plot to destroy him. It seemed timely.

Oh that's definitely why I posted it... Like I said if its more relevant for the current events board, feel free to move it.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Oh that's definitely why I posted it... Like I said if its more relevant for the current events board, feel free to move it.

He’s not a mod. He can’t move it.  

[skillzdadirecta]

3 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

He’s not a mod. He can’t move it.  

Ah my bad.

[Keyser_Soze]

40 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Ah my bad.

 

Just report your topic and say where you want it moved or mention someone who is a mod.

[stepee]

ya I would move this, good article

[Boyle5150]

Great article! 
 

This article + religion = cognitive dissonance in a nutshell.  
 

 

[Reputator]

I'm not sure I'll have time to read that.

 

 

Alright I guess I have time.

[TwinIon]

In response to the article, I'm not so sure that I believe the hypothesis he puts forward. Maybe conspiracy theorists have a different "mental character" than most people, but I think people fall down those rabbit holes for very common reasons. It fosters this idea that you're special because you know the "truth," and creates a sense of community with people that share that "knowledge." It's self-reinforcing because it once you start to distrust actual sources of truth, the only alternative is finding more lies. Maybe having a different way to rationalize things is what gets people to believe in crazy things in the first place, but I think there are a lot of very normal, easily understood drives that push people there.

[skillzdadirecta]

43 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

In response to the article, I'm not so sure that I believe the hypothesis he puts forward. Maybe conspiracy theorists have a different "mental character" than most people, but I think people fall down those rabbit holes for very common reasons. It fosters this idea that you're special because you know the "truth," and creates a sense of community with people that share that "knowledge." It's self-reinforcing because it once you start to distrust actual sources of truth, the only alternative is finding more lies. Maybe having a different way to rationalize things is what gets people to believe in crazy things in the first place, but I think there are a lot of very normal, easily understood drives that push people there.

Yes, but what makes them stay there once compelling contradictory evidence is brought to them? 

[Anathema-]

5 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Yes, but what makes them stay there once compelling contradictory evidence is brought to them? 

 

Confirmation bias and the sunk cost fallacy. The evidence doesn't compel them.

[Boyle5150]

Add to that, tribalism.  

[Ghost_MH]

4 hours ago, Boyle5150 said:

Add to that, tribalism.  

 

Correct. Once you become part of that tribe it isn't just about abandoning prior beliefs but sometimes friends you've made along the way. Once your identity becomes associated with some stupid belief, it becomes incredibly difficult to disassociate. Doubly so when you're a part of like minded a community.

[Bloodporne]

14 hours ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

Correct. Once you become part of that tribe it isn't just about abandoning prior beliefs but sometimes friends you've made along the way. Once your identity becomes associated with some stupid belief, it becomes incredibly difficult to disassociate. Doubly so when you're a part of like minded a community.

Also a big reason why many religious people actively continue to attend church despite "losing" their faith apparently. Community, friends, investment etc., I can see this being no different after finding your herd. 

[TwinIon]

19 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Yes, but what makes them stay there once compelling contradictory evidence is brought to them? 

 

19 hours ago, Anathema- said:

Confirmation bias and the sunk cost fallacy. The evidence doesn't compel them.

 

19 hours ago, Boyle5150 said:

Add to that, tribalism.  

Tribalism was my first thought, and what I meant when I mentioned community in my earlier post. I think sunk costs and confirmation bias are also very true.

 

 

Also, as I said before, once you go deep enough in these things, you've probably rejected all standard sources for truth. You likely no longer trust journalists from major publications, you probably don't trust the government (which often means NASA, and all government funded research), and depending on your flavor of conspiracy, you might mistrust science at large. So who out there could bring you compelling evidence that is a source that you actually trust? If you automatically discount all evidence based on its source, it's hard to ever seriously consider that evidence.

 

When the flat earth people try an experiment that accidentally disproves their theory, they automatically search for a reason the experiment went wrong, but I don't think that's an odd reaction. When I encounter a study that goes against my established thinking, my first thoughts are "well, how big was the sample size" or "maybe that was true in their specific setting, but not generally" or something else that lets me discount it. You can see this in one of those political threads where a study said that Bernie followers were not any more aggressive than anyone else. I remain open to the possibility it's true, but it's hard to discount my experiences. If your "experiences" around a subject are 3 hour Youtube videos and an active subreddit full of people confirming your conspiracy, I think it's a very normal reaction to try and dismiss contradictory new evidence.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

47 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

Also a big reason why many religious people actively continue to attend church despite "losing" their faith apparently.

That's because Western "liberal" secular/consumerist society has failed spectacularly in developing a fulfilling substitute for that need.

[Boyle5150]

47 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

That's because Western "liberal" secular/consumerist society has failed spectacularly in developing a fulfilling substitute for that need.

Add to that, the Social stigma of not being a part of that group.  It’s not as bad in western tolerant societies as it is in others.  

[Bloodporne]

47 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

That's because Western "liberal" secular/consumerist society has failed spectacularly in developing a fulfilling substitute for that need.

I'm with you on that 100%. There's been a plunge into narcissism and nihilism filling that void in absence of a meaningful substitute from my perspective. People seem kind of adrift and I don't exclude myself from that.

[skillzdadirecta]

This discussion has been great and all but did anybody actually you know, actually READ the article I linked? Because judging from a good chunk of these responses... I'm thinking NO.

[Bloodporne]

26 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This discussion has been great and all but did anybody actually you know, actually READ the article I linked? Because judging from a good chunk of these responses... I'm thinking NO.

 

BUSTED

[skillzdadirecta]

Just now, Bloodporne said:

 

BUSTED

I respect your honesty 

[Bloodporne]

5 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I respect your honesty 

Oh no, I'm gonna keep pretending and the "BUSTED" was throwing others under the bus. 

[Boyle5150]

I read it and all the replies are directly in line with the premise of the article. 
 

[Ghost_MH]

46 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This discussion has been great and all but did anybody actually you know, actually READ the article I linked? Because judging from a good chunk of these responses... I'm thinking NO.

 

In all fairness you highlighted a chunk of the article and I read that. If there was more that you wanted us to read, it's really your fault for not quoting the whole thing.

[TwinIon]

I read it.

 

 

[Boyle5150]

I believe this thread is a perfect example of The term “irony”.   
 

Absolutely brilliant 

[Bloodporne]

8 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

I read it.

 

 

Well, looks like someone's out of the herd. Traitor. 

[skillzdadirecta]

26 minutes ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

In all fairness you highlighted a chunk of the article and I read that. If there was more that you wanted us to read, it's really your fault for not quoting the whole thing.

 

I LITERALLY said in the original topic that that was an excerpt from the article and that it was a long read implying that there was more to it than what I quoted. Whatever, I thought it would be an interesting read considering all of the conspiracy theories floating around. Carry on.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

I LITERALLY said in the original topic that that was an excerpt from the article and that it was a long read implying that there was more to it than what I quoted. Whatever, I though it would be an interesting read considering all of the conspiracy theories floating around. Carry on.

The last sentence indicates that he's pulling your leg