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So Shamu got me to wondering....

Whitewing

Well-known member
Why does he believe the crap he believes?

Some possible explanations:

Conspiracy theorists are seeking to prove something they want to believe. Instead of scientifically following a stream of facts to a rational conclusion they collect bits and pieces and oddments, not to synthesize a robust alternative explanation, but more to crap on an official version or more cohesive theories. The fact that their interpretation of events, evidence, and testimony leads to more and more dubious explanations for the data, and impossible situations is unimportant.


Unfortunately there has been little research carried out into what kind of events trigger conspiracy theories, who tends to believe them, and why. We do know, however, that people who believe in one theory are more likely to believe in others: there is a good chance that someone who believes the moon landings were faked will also believe that JFK was killed by a second gunman from the infamous grassy knoll.

http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2007/07/why_do_people_believe_in_consp.php

And then there's this:

A new article in Scientific American tries to figure that out. Michael Shermer outlines in his “Skeptic” column four traits of those who believe:

patternicity, or a tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise;

agenticity, or the bent to believe the world is controlled by invisible intentional agent;

confirmation bias, or the seeking and finding of confirmatory evidence for what we already believe;

hindsight bias, or tailoring after-the-fact explanations to what we already know happened.

Note: For those of us beating our heads against the wall trying to convince Shamu that what he says is fact, isn't really fact, confirmation bias is what keeps him from accepting any evidence to the contrary that his beliefs are what really happened. This is why I've asked him several times if it really matters what videos or photos we provide. It doesn't, even though he continues to ask for such evidence. His mind is made up and NOTHING will change it.

http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/four-reasons-why-people-believe-in-conspiracy-theories/762/

And then this one from Wiki:

According to some psychologists, a person who believes in one conspiracy theory tends to believe in others; a person who does not believe in one conspiracy theory tends not to believe another.[25] This may be caused by differences in the information upon which parties rely in formulating their conclusions.

Psychologists believe that the search for meaning is common in conspiracism and the development of conspiracy theories, and may be powerful enough alone to lead to the first formulating of the idea. Once cognized, confirmation bias and avoidance of cognitive dissonance may reinforce the belief. In a context where a conspiracy theory has become popular within a social group, communal reinforcement may equally play a part. Some research carried out at the University of Kent, UK suggests people may be influenced by conspiracy theories without being aware that their attitudes have changed. After reading popular conspiracy theories about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, participants in this study correctly estimated how much their peers' attitudes had changed, but significantly underestimated how much their own attitudes had changed to become more in favor of the conspiracy theories. The authors conclude that conspiracy theories may therefore have a 'hidden power' to influence people's beliefs.

Humanistic psychologists argue that even if the cabal behind the conspiracy is almost always perceived as hostile there is, often, still an element of reassurance in it, for conspiracy theorists, in part because it is more consoling to think that complications and upheavals in human affairs, at least, are created by human beings rather than factors beyond human control. Belief in such a cabal is a device for reassuring oneself that certain occurrences are not random, but ordered by a human intelligence. This renders such occurrences comprehensible and potentially controllable. If a cabal can be implicated in a sequence of events, there is always the hope, however tenuous, of being able to break the cabal's power - or joining it and exercising some of that power oneself. Finally, belief in the power of such a cabal is an implicit assertion of human dignity - an often unconscious but necessary affirmation that man is not totally helpless, but is responsible, at least in some measure, for his own destiny.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
There are those that truly believe these conspiracy theories and then there are those that use them to demonize the "other side". Accusations of being a conspiracist are also used to silence people from talking about or bringing up subjects that really should be looked into.

Some will call the "birthers" conspiracy theory nuts, but there is not enough evidence one way or another. There is jjust as much chance of either side of the debate being correct.


The Left's Delusional Tour of the 'Twilight Zone'

It's hard to say exactly when the Democrats decisively left the reservation, for the parallel universe that exists only in their own imaginations.

In their world, Bill Clinton was impeached solely because Republicans were "trying to overturn the election;" Al Gore would be president today if only Jeb Bush hadn't stolen the election in Florida; and Osama bin Laden is a CIA operative who orchestrated September 11 to justify the end of civil liberties in the United States.

This litany of conspiracy theories barely scratches the surface of the paranoid mentality that currently infects American liberals.

Liberals have always loved conspiracy theories because raising the specter of foul play and dirty tricks is an easy and convenient justification for ignoring their own political and policy failures.

During the 1980 election, Democrats claimed that Ronald Reagan made a secret pact with Iranian fundamentalists, in order to prolong the hostage crisis and cause Jimmy Carter's support to further hemorrhage.

More recently, leftists attempted to besmirch the Gipper's legacy with the celluloid equivalent of a drive-by shooting-The Reagans-a historically inaccurate made-for-television movie starring Barbra Streisand's husband as Ronald Reagan.

Then there are the persistent conspiracy theories that the CIA or Pentagon generals were responsible for President John Kennedy's assassination. One version of this fanciful myth was brought to the big screen by liberal icon Oliver Stone.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200401/ai_n9350968/
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Just found an example of someone trying to silence the opposition by associating them with conspiracists, with no evidence that the conspiracy theory is not true.




Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is trying to gain the support of birthers by suggesting that President Obama subscribes to "Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.

"I don't even have -- quite frankly, George -- the slightest idea what he's talking about," Gibbs told George Stephanopoulos. "I think Newt Gingrich knows that he's trying to appeal to the fringe of people that don't believe the president was born in this country. You would normally expect better from somebody who held the position of speaker of the House."
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
what is funny is how you will not consider the fact that my "theories" may be correct?

you are trying to find any reason you can to avoid looking at my evidence.

have you watched any of the videos like 9/11 Zero Investigation? My conspiracy theories begin to look much more like facts and your facts begin to look like conspiracy theories at that point.

[/b]
 

hopalong

Well-known member
shaumei said:
what is funny is how you will not consider the fact that my "theories" may be correct?

you are trying to find any reason you can to avoid looking at my evidence.

have you watched any of the videos like 9/11 Zero Investigation? My conspiracy theories begin to look much more like facts and your facts begin to look like conspiracy theories at that point.

[/b]

Wrong but then you refuse to look at our facts ans they make yours look like the 3 stooges trying to make a sandwich!!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
hopalong said:
shaumei said:
what is funny is how you will not consider the fact that my "theories" may be correct?

you are trying to find any reason you can to avoid looking at my evidence.

have you watched any of the videos like 9/11 Zero Investigation? My conspiracy theories begin to look much more like facts and your facts begin to look like conspiracy theories at that point.

[/b]

Wrong but then you refuse to look at our facts ans they make yours look like the 3 stooges trying to make a sandwich!!

you facts use to be my facts until in investigated them...you repeat like a parrot the govt stories. they do not hold water anymore.

you refuse look at the real evidence against the govt as you simply cannot handle the ramifications of it....

you simply do not want the truth as you cannot handle the truth. you want to live a lie.
 

hopalong

Well-known member
shaumei said:
hopalong said:
shaumei said:
what is funny is how you will not consider the fact that my "theories" may be correct?

you are trying to find any reason you can to avoid looking at my evidence.

have you watched any of the videos like 9/11 Zero Investigation? My conspiracy theories begin to look much more like facts and your facts begin to look like conspiracy theories at that point.

[/b]

Wrong but then you refuse to look at our facts ans they make yours look like the 3 stooges trying to make a sandwich!!

you facts use to be my facts until in investigated them...you repeat like a parrot the govt stories. they do not hold water anymore.

you refuse look at the real evidence against the govt as you simply cannot handle the ramifications of it....

you simply do not want the truth as you cannot handle the truth. you want to live a lie.
 

hopalong

Well-known member
shaumei said:
hopalong said:
shaumei said:
what is funny is how you will not consider the fact that my "theories" may be correct?

you are trying to find any reason you can to avoid looking at my evidence.

have you watched any of the videos like 9/11 Zero Investigation? My conspiracy theories begin to look much more like facts and your facts begin to look like conspiracy theories at that point.

[/b]

Wrong but then you refuse to look at our facts ans they make yours look like the 3 stooges trying to make a sandwich!!

you facts use to be my facts until in investigated them...you repeat like a parrot the govt stories. they do not hold water anymore.

you refuse look at the real evidence against the govt as you simply cannot handle the ramifications of it....

you simply do not want the truth as you cannot handle the truth. you want to live a lie.

Real evidence?? you mean utube?? did your parents have any kids that lived?
You are the one living a lie. look around you how many of are there compared to how many of us there are?


As Jack Nicholson said in a movie.
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH SON!~!!!
 
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