Conspiracy theories are ingrained in a culture in which children are brought up with stories about fairies at the bottom of the garden and tooth fairies and Father Christmas. When you find out your own parents told you lies, and the whole world colluded, you suspect everybody, for the rest of your life.
What puzzles me is not why people are conspiracy theorists - why they consider outsiders are less deceitful than those who are close. If so, why not stay outside.
I suppose people go through levels of rebellion, either limited to thoughts or carried into action:
1 My parents and culture are good and all they say is true.
2 My side are good although they have told some untruths - the end justifies the means.
3 They lied to me and I am angry.
4 I want to know what other outside groups say. I want to read books and travel and read newspapers from neighbouring countries to find out the uncensored truth. The exciting other culture knows the truth and I shall go there and live there. ((The challenge can be alternative views of science or religion or both.)
5 I'll go home. a) Home's best.
b) Now I'll get my revenge and cheat them like they cheated me. a) I'm suspicious. b) I'm angry. c) I"ll attack the establishment with words. d) I'll attack targets at the top - those responsible because the lower orders are simply deceived as I was. e) I'll attack targets at the bottom because they are easy to deceive and it will annoy those at the top.
6) So what - I'm busy finding food and looking after those I love.
7) One never knows, but don't rock the boat we're all in.
8) Now I'm retired I'll check out the truth for myself. Both sides are wrong but two wrongs don't make a right.
9) I'll tell my grandchildren fairy stories and father Christmas - let them enjoy it, they'll learn about truth and bad things soon enough.
10) I'll try to hint - but not destroy their faith in their family - that wouldn't make them happy.
11) Let the nutters believe what they like, each to his own.
What puzzles me is not why people are conspiracy theorists - why they consider outsiders are less deceitful than those who are close. If so, why not stay outside.
I suppose people go through levels of rebellion, either limited to thoughts or carried into action:
1 My parents and culture are good and all they say is true.
2 My side are good although they have told some untruths - the end justifies the means.
3 They lied to me and I am angry.
4 I want to know what other outside groups say. I want to read books and travel and read newspapers from neighbouring countries to find out the uncensored truth. The exciting other culture knows the truth and I shall go there and live there. ((The challenge can be alternative views of science or religion or both.)
5 I'll go home. a) Home's best.
b) Now I'll get my revenge and cheat them like they cheated me. a) I'm suspicious. b) I'm angry. c) I"ll attack the establishment with words. d) I'll attack targets at the top - those responsible because the lower orders are simply deceived as I was. e) I'll attack targets at the bottom because they are easy to deceive and it will annoy those at the top.
6) So what - I'm busy finding food and looking after those I love.
7) One never knows, but don't rock the boat we're all in.
8) Now I'm retired I'll check out the truth for myself. Both sides are wrong but two wrongs don't make a right.
9) I'll tell my grandchildren fairy stories and father Christmas - let them enjoy it, they'll learn about truth and bad things soon enough.
10) I'll try to hint - but not destroy their faith in their family - that wouldn't make them happy.
11) Let the nutters believe what they like, each to his own.
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