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You hit on a very key point. Most people's automatic response to "conspiracy theory" is to dismiss it as out of hand and "impossible" and you've given the reason for that which is to see and know how the world is truly ran and who operates it would be much too psychologically traumatizing and jarring for the vast majority of people. And no one can be blamed for that. It's much easier for most people to go through life believing the lies than to uncover the truth. Because the truth about our situation in this current historical epic is very dark and ugly indeed.
You hit on a very key point. Most people's automatic response to "conspiracy theory" is to dismiss it as out of hand and "impossible" and you've given the reason for that which is to see and know how the world is truly ran and who operates it would be much too psychologically traumatizing and jarring for the vast majority of people. And no one can be blamed for that. It's much easier for most people to go through life believing the lies than to uncover the truth. Because the truth about our situation in this current historical epic is very dark and ugly indeed.
I think you have it exactly backwards. I've read some psychological accounts of what makes people attracted to a conspiratorial mindset and it isn't that THEY are willing to see things that the rest of us are too terrified to face up to, it's more that they have a need to think that everything is under some sort of master plan or control.
Even if the people orchestrating that master plan have evil intentions, THAT is more comforting than accepting that life is subject to random acts of violence and chaos.
"Conspiracy theories are one way to make sense of what happened and regain a sense of control," Barkun said. "Of course, they're usually wrong, but they're psychologically reassuring. Because what they say is that everything is connected, nothing happens by accident, and that there is some kind of order in the world, even if it's produced by evil forces. I think psychologically, it's in a way consoling to a lot of people." Conspiracy Theories Flourish on the Internet (washingtonpost.com)
So, I submit that it's the conspiracy minded who have trouble coping with reality, not the rest of us.
And no one can be blamed for that. It's much easier for most people to go through life believing the lies than to uncover the truth. Because the truth about our situation in this current historical epic is very dark and ugly indeed.
Hey, if the truth doesn't sell, discount it, change it, bury it - or do some of all three!
You hit on a very key point. Most people's automatic response to "conspiracy theory" is to dismiss it as out of hand and "impossible" and you've given the reason for that which is to see and know how the world is truly ran and who operates it would be much too psychologically traumatizing and jarring for the vast majority of people. And no one can be blamed for that. It's much easier for most people to go through life believing the lies than to uncover the truth. Because the truth about our situation in this current historical epic is very dark and ugly indeed.
The problem is, the Truthers act 100% according to the CT pattern. I have yet to see a retraction of any point - if a criticism must be acknowledged, it is met with an expansion of the conspiracy, but mostly, counterarguments are flat-out ignored.
We know the towers didn't collapse at free-fall speed, and we know they didn't "fall into their own footprints", yet we get that old canard again and again.
We know there's nothing surprising about iron and aluminium oxide being present at a site where an aluminium airliner was crashed into a steel building, yet we're treated to the silly, silly idea of thermite being present.
We have a hundred-plus eye witnesses describing a plane approaching and/or hitting the Pentagon, yet people looking at Internet photos - people who have never analyzed a crash scene before - hand-wave them away.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
It's like debating moon landing deniers - once you're done with a multi-page explanation of focal stops and light levels and film sensitivity, the next person steps up and asks "Why are there no stars in the photos, smart guy?" as if it was a brilliant, never-before-encountered stumper.
As for the psychoanalysis, well - feeling you're one of the few in the know is very attractive, even if your position isn't that well-founded. So when any aspect of the conspiracy theory is attacked, it's not just the facts, it's the idea of standing out from the crowd. And while people may be willing to concede facts if they approach a question with an open mind, they're rarely willing to change their minds on something that provides emotional comfort.
I think you have it exactly backwards. I've read some psychological accounts of what makes people attracted to a conspiratorial mindset and it isn't that THEY are willing to see things that the rest of us are too terrified to face up to, it's more that they have a need to think that everything is under some sort of master plan or control.
Even if the people orchestrating that master plan have evil intentions, THAT is more comforting than accepting that life is subject to random acts of violence and chaos.
"Conspiracy theories are one way to make sense of what happened and regain a sense of control," Barkun said. "Of course, they're usually wrong, but they're psychologically reassuring. Because what they say is that everything is connected, nothing happens by accident, and that there is some kind of order in the world, even if it's produced by evil forces. I think psychologically, it's in a way consoling to a lot of people." Conspiracy Theories Flourish on the Internet (washingtonpost.com)
So, I submit that it's the conspiracy minded who have trouble coping with reality, not the rest of us.
I think whoever is trying to psychoanalyze "conspiracy theorists" has no idea what they are talking about. Not surprising.
I think you have it exactly backwards. I've read some psychological accounts of what makes people attracted to a conspiratorial mindset and it isn't that THEY are willing to see things that the rest of us are too terrified to face up to, it's more that they have a need to think that everything is under some sort of master plan or control.
Even if the people orchestrating that master plan have evil intentions, THAT is more comforting than accepting that life is subject to random acts of violence and chaos.
"Conspiracy theories are one way to make sense of what happened and regain a sense of control," Barkun said. "Of course, they're usually wrong, but they're psychologically reassuring. Because what they say is that everything is connected, nothing happens by accident, and that there is some kind of order in the world, even if it's produced by evil forces. I think psychologically, it's in a way consoling to a lot of people." Conspiracy Theories Flourish on the Internet (washingtonpost.com)
So, I submit that it's the conspiracy minded who have trouble coping with reality, not the rest of us.
How convenient.
Look psychology is not an exact science and is a very politicized field.
The problem is, the Truthers act 100% according to the CT pattern. I have yet to see a retraction of any point - if a criticism must be acknowledged, it is met with an expansion of the conspiracy, but mostly, counterarguments are flat-out ignored.
We know the towers didn't collapse at free-fall speed, and we know they didn't "fall into their own footprints", yet we get that old canard again and again.
We know there's nothing surprising about iron and aluminium oxide being present at a site where an aluminium airliner was crashed into a steel building, yet we're treated to the silly, silly idea of thermite being present.
We have a hundred-plus eye witnesses describing a plane approaching and/or hitting the Pentagon, yet people looking at Internet photos - people who have never analyzed a crash scene before - hand-wave them away.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
It's like debating moon landing deniers - once you're done with a multi-page explanation of focal stops and light levels and film sensitivity, the next person steps up and asks "Why are there no stars in the photos, smart guy?" as if it was a brilliant, never-before-encountered stumper.
As for the psychoanalysis, well - feeling you're one of the few in the know is very attractive, even if your position isn't that well-founded. So when any aspect of the conspiracy theory is attacked, it's not just the facts, it's the idea of standing out from the crowd. And while people may be willing to concede facts if they approach a question with an open mind, they're rarely willing to change their minds on something that provides emotional comfort.
I used to think like a "normal" person. Research and reading changed my mind. I'd have no issue changing back if evidence points that way. The problem is there is literally hundreds and thousands of pieces of evidence that conspiracy is indeed the answer. Which if you view the world through the proper Theological lens actually makes perfect sense.
I think you have it exactly backwards. I've read some psychological accounts of what makes people attracted to a conspiratorial mindset and it isn't that THEY are willing to see things that the rest of us are too terrified to face up to, it's more that they have a need to think that everything is under some sort of master plan or control.
Even if the people orchestrating that master plan have evil intentions, THAT is more comforting than accepting that life is subject to random acts of violence and chaos.
"Conspiracy theories are one way to make sense of what happened and regain a sense of control," Barkun said. "Of course, they're usually wrong, but they're psychologically reassuring. Because what they say is that everything is connected, nothing happens by accident, and that there is some kind of order in the world, even if it's produced by evil forces. I think psychologically, it's in a way consoling to a lot of people." Conspiracy Theories Flourish on the Internet (washingtonpost.com)
So, I submit that it's the conspiracy minded who have trouble coping with reality, not the rest of us.
Why won't they publicly release this then Read it, this isn't easily dismissable like global warming/climate change, you aren't being told the truth about 9/11
I used to think like a "normal" person. Research and reading changed my mind. I'd have no issue changing back if evidence points that way. The problem is there is literally hundreds and thousands of pieces of evidence that conspiracy is indeed the answer. Which if you view the world through the proper Theological lens actually makes perfect sense.
This is not even the tip of the iceberg. This is simply a single sip of water out of a very large container.
No offense, but I rest my case.
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