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conspiracy theories are baked into human nature, they don’t only affect the fringes. all people naturally seek patterns to make sense of the world’s randomness and develop in-group, out-group prejudices that make them vulnerable to all kinds of propaganda, paranoia, and extremism
people are often led by intuitions and overestimate their ability to understand complex subjects. that, coupled with the natural tendencies to seek truth, meaning, and belonging, can make even the most well-intentioned and intelligent people vulnerable to conspiracy theories
research shows that social conditions and personal traits can make someone more vulnerable to conspiratorial thinking, such as lower analytical thinking, lower education, schizotypy, being distrustful, narcissistic, powerless, alienated, anxious, or prone to projection
it’s important to understand the potential factors that make people extra vulnerable to conspiracy theories, but just as important to recognize that everyone is vulnerable to some degree. studies and polls repeatedly show millions of people believe in them in some form or another
there’s a difference between “conspiracies” which are covert plots that can be uncovered through reasoning and evidence, versus “conspiracy theories” which are metaphysical narratives based on prejudices, sensationalism, and flawed assumptions made outside material reality
there’s no universal way to bring people back from conspiracy theories. some take months, some take years, others stay gone. some need relationships, some need isolation, and some need an “aha” moment. some prefer debate, some conversation, and others need to find their own way
be kind and stay skeptical, but don’t get lost down the endless brain-breaking rabbit holes that separate people from reality. the world is crazy and has enough problems in its observable form. and remember these tweets are propaganda so you buy our products lol
steak-umm bless
steak-umm bless
some people are asking for sources to these claims about the psychology of conspiracy theories so boom:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0963721417718261
https://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2014/04/13/our-need-to-belong/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pops.12568
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027714001632
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13546783.2015.1051586?journalCode=ptar20
https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/mobile/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199351800.001.0001/acprof-9780199351800-chapter-6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340140/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0963721417718261
https://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2014/04/13/our-need-to-belong/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pops.12568
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027714001632
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13546783.2015.1051586?journalCode=ptar20
https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/mobile/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199351800.001.0001/acprof-9780199351800-chapter-6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340140/
here are more sources on the psychology of conspiracy theories for anyone interested
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550615616170?journalCode=sppa
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-013-9165-6
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925075108.htm
https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/download/6e7708a350b66c4575ac3f1615a82a23f3e44624c4f3f0c4357ad9c7727d81b7/272496/1-s2.0-S0191886914003821-main.pdf
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00225/full https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0162-895X.00160
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550615616170?journalCode=sppa
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-013-9165-6
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925075108.htm
https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/download/6e7708a350b66c4575ac3f1615a82a23f3e44624c4f3f0c4357ad9c7727d81b7/272496/1-s2.0-S0191886914003821-main.pdf
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00225/full https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0162-895X.00160
many variables need to be controlled for in studying conspiracy theories/theorists, such as singular events vs. ideologies and social conditions vs. personality, so direct causal claims are rare, but there are enough correlating factors to establish credible intersecting patterns
