We all know that conspiracy theories can be dangerous, and not only to the people who believe them, but also to their family and friends that are affected by their views. So why do people react by rolling their eyes and laughing if it’s such a serious issue?
Could it be because these conspiracy theories sound like a messed up sci-fi story? Or maybe it’s because within those conspiracies, there are cult like factions that to the outside, seem to have ridiculous beliefs. It doesn’t help that conspiracy theorists tend to rant about their ideas in a manner that suggests they are high as a kite.
If you look it up online, you are bound to come to the conclusion that all this craziness is simply a result of sensationalism. Regardless, these theories have enough shock value to throw you for a loop and leave you wanting more.
I asked fellow classmate Mia Brown why she thinks conspiracy theories can be so funny. Mia said, “I feel like a lot of the time, [conspiracy theorists] are kind of just making up stuff to confirm what they believe, and I think sometimes, that can make them sound stupid and uneducated.”
She added, “I also don’t really see a point to some theories, and I think it’s kind of sad that these people don’t have anything better to do with their lives than to make up these stories and try to prove them.”
What Mia described in her interview is a pattern found in almost every conspiracy theory. Confirmation bias is where you search for facts that prove what you believe and ignore the ones that don’t. To more informed people, this phenomenon is a sign of unintelligence and makes people who have confirmation bias from these conspiracies go on to lack a lot of credibility. Wikipedia says the reason for confirmation bias is “ wishful thinking and the limited human capacity to process information.” It adds, “Another proposal is that people show confirmation bias because they are pragmatically assessing the costs of being wrong rather than investigating in a neutral, scientific way.” People want to prove to others and themselves that they aren’t dumb for believing what they do, so they continue to collect information that only fits their beliefs.
As for why people create these stories and latch onto them the way they do, it’s more or less as Mia described. In a documentary focusing on flat earthers called Behind the Curve, a psychologist stated, “These people can be very, very bright, so the issue is not necessarily a lack of intelligence. I think it’s sometimes miseducation. I think somebody can be educated in such a way that they are educated to distrust authority on a regular basis, which kind of poisons the well up and down the line.” This mistrust of authority and everything they’re being told is what causes them to spin these theories, and if they have a convincing enough platform, others begin taking their word for it and believe made up stuff too.
It’s interesting how the theorists start viewing themselves as they shape these theories: they idolize themselves for having the nerve to fight social norms for the “truth”, and their followers eat it up, praising them for their bravery. This only adds to the conspiracy leaders’ narcissism and gives them the confidence to forge even more outlandish theories because they know they’ll get support.
Conspiracy theorists become extremely isolated due to these beliefs. As another psychologist stated, “they define themselves through their struggle”, so without any evidence, theorists are unable to trust anyone and have little social and familial support or connections. So, they blame the way they’ve refused to conform to society, call everyone else brainwashed, and sink further into their own altered perception of reality.