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from the longest-distance-between-two-points-is-a...shortcut dept.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-people-fall-for-conspiracy-theories/
Think of a conspiracy theorist. How do they see the world? What stands out to them? What fades into the background? Now think of yourself. How does the way you see things differ? What is it about the way you think that has stopped you from falling down a rabbit hole?
Conspiracy theories have long been part of American life, but they feel more urgent than ever. Innocuous notions like whether the moon landing was a hoax feel like child's play compared to more impactful beliefs like whether vaccines are safe (they are) or the 2020 election was stolen (it wasn't). It can be easy to write off our conspiracy theorist friends and relatives as crackpots, but science shows things are far more nuanced than that. There are traits that likely prime people to be more prone to holding these beliefs, and you may find that when you take stock of these traits, you aren't far removed from your cousin who is convinced the world is run by lizard people.
[...] "It's not like most beliefs are arrived at through some sort of pure logic. The world is not a bunch of Spocks running around deducing everything," said Joseph Uscinski, a professor of political science at the University of Miami who has studied conspiracy theories. "It's just not how people operate."
[...] Every one of us has a brain that takes shortcuts, makes assumptions and works in irrational ways. The sooner we recognize that, and stop treating loved ones who have adopted conspiratorial beliefs as lost causes, the better we may be at curbing the beliefs that threaten our democracy and public health. We're all human after all. Well, except for the lizard people.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by HiThere on Thursday June 17 2021, @03:05AM (6 children)
Either you have to be more specific, or that statement is either a lie or meaningless. There are, indeed, limited ways in which "the narrative" has changed, but in most cases that I'm aware of the change was quite reasonable and justifiable on the basis of increased information. Other times it only changed on the surface, but not in any significant way.
And in at least one case the statement of "we need more evidence to make up our minds" is taken as confirmation of a prior definite statement of fact. Which is either bias or foolishness.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 17 2021, @03:16AM (1 child)
One major shift:
This time last year the statement "it is possible that the wuhan virus leaked from the wuhan institute of virology" was immediately stamped down by the media jack-boot association as a rabid conspiracy theory.
This time this year, those same jack-booted media thugs that labeled "it is possible the wuhan virus leaked from the wuhan lab" a conspiracy theory last year are also the very same jack-booted media thugs who this year are hawking, pushing, and reporting that it is very possible that the wuhan virus leaked from the wuhan lab.
So right there is one, 180 degree, turn on what the media labels "conspiracy theory". Exact same story, last year it was a conspiracy theory, no doubt about it. This year, exact same story, no longer a conspiracy theory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 17 2021, @05:26AM
What are you ranting about? Everyone knows the Covid virus was created in Russia and planted in Whuan.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 17 2021, @04:48AM (2 children)
Many of those who are asking for "more evidence" today, were screaming at the top of their lungs yesterday, telling us that we are insane conspiracy theorists, refusing to hear the voice of reason.
Neither China nor Russia rehabilitates the insane overnight. It's going to take years, or decades, or even centuries for that shit to wash off.
Worse, when it is demonstrated that those who were screaming "CONSPIRACY THEORY" the loudest had financial, academic, and political ties to the Wuhan Institute of Viruses, the real conspiracies are all but proven as fact.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 17 2021, @05:29AM (1 child)
All right Ruskie...give it up. You are obviously a Russian agent trolling here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 17 2021, @04:32PM
How exciting!
(Score: 2, Troll) by driverless on Thursday June 17 2021, @07:47AM
And that's the difference between science and conspiracy theories. Science changes as new evidence emerges. Conspiracy theories never change, it's always the Jews (why TF is it always the Jews?), the left, blacks, "socialists" (whatever that is, seems to be just a generic label for "anyone I don't like"), etc.