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Flat Earth in space
Do you know someone who believes the Earth is flat?
Or, perhaps, someone who asserts climate change is a hoax, that a deep state conspiracy runs our government, that fake news dominates mainstream media, or that the gun control lobby fabricates school shootings in an effort to confiscate Americans’ firearms? If you’re wondering whether people actually buy into one or more of these fanciful notions, wonder no more. While social media probably exaggerates the number of folks who believe conspiracy theories, surveys suggest almost half of us harbor at least one.
What is the psychological make up of those who embrace conspiracy theories? How does someone who is otherwise sane and functional conclude that NASA filmed the moon landings in a secret studio, that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job or that Area 51 harbors bodies of extraterrestrial aliens who crash-landed in New Mexico?
Well, humans have been conjuring conspiracy theories as far back as the historical records go, and probably well before that. In fact, anthropologists maintain this tendency resides in our evolutionary pedigree. For early humans, inferring malevolent intent in other persons or groups (“What are they up to?”) proved adaptive, creating a degree of wariness that, on occasion, protected folks from bad actors. Trouble is, conspiracy theories are just that... theories. In the absence of factual evidence supporting them, these notions are merely speculative, sometimes wildly so, yet they are too often regarded as truth. Why?
Inherently Suspicious
Psychologists find that those inclined toward conspiratorial machinations exhibit specific personality traits and ways of thinking. They tend to be inherently suspicious, regard the world as a dangerous place full or nefarious types and mentally project conspiratorial patterns onto events that, objectively, have none. Their eagerness to endorse paranoid conjecture without insisting on verifiable evidence supporting it constitutes what psychologists call “BS receptivity.” Not exactly a technical term, but you get the idea.
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Because true conspiracies (those factually proven) do exist, this creates an opening for those seeking to spread unfounded conjecture about what’s behind certain events. Capitalizing on BS receptivity, they point to legitimate conspiratorial happenings as “proof” that illegitimate ones are the real deal. For example, because there are actually individuals who hide the circumstances of their birth to fabricate an alternate identity, some assume this proves the birther conspiracy that Obama was born in Kenya.
But, why would someone buy into an unfounded assertion already proven false? Sometimes, tribal influences come into play. If enough folks in my social orbit believe a baseless conspiracy, agreeing with them is my ticket to belonging. Also, once one believes in such stuff, it’s easy to dismiss contradictory evidence as “part of the plot.” Finally, buying someone’s BS at face value spares us the cognitive effort necessary to ascertain the facts and apply critical thinking. Basically, it’s easier to be a sucker than a thinker.
Troubled Times
Also, there is considerable evidence people are more prone to conspiratorial thinking during troubled times, in an effort to create greater certainty (“I know what’s going on”) and, ostensibly, reduce anxiety. However, the catch-22 is that most conspiracy theories are gloomy affairs inhabited with malevolent actors and sinister plots, meaning they usually amplify one’s angst rather than salving it.
Usually, pushing back on unfounded conspiracies proves a waste of breath. A person’s beliefs are firmly attached to his or her identity. When confronted with facts that undermine one’s conspiracy theory, many invoke confirmation bias—ignoring information that refutes one’s opinion. It takes courage and strength of character to challenge one’s beliefs, let alone admit being mistaken.
Recently, a friend who has long been a climate change denier told me, “I was wrong.”
It wasn’t just an avalanche of facts that changed his mind, but also the recognition that he was letting others dictate what he believed.
Given our conspiracy-saturated body politic today, his story offers sound guidance.
Think for yourself.
For more, visit philipchard.com.
