Conspiracy theory nuts

[Stuuuuuu]

Perhaps the biggest barrier that I see which prevents progress and rationality is the natural resistance to change that is found in all of us.

If a person is taught as a child that a magic skydaddy on a cloud created everything, then that will be a core belief that can stay with them. Try to convince them otherwise and they're met with cognitive dissonance about key information that they've been told by those they trust (parents, teachers, religious leaders...). "I've always believed x to be true; now someone is telling me that x is false." So they dig their heels in, in order to relieve that psychological tension and convince themselves that their beliefs are correct. They will use anything as 'evidence' in order to achieve this.

I don't have the answer to this, but I will say that society needs children to be taught the scientific method and critical thinking skills in order to bring about an objective view on the world - including on social constructs.

Thankfully, religion is dying out, at least in the West. I think the average person is now just about intelligent and objective enough to see how ludicrous the concept of a talking snake and creation theory are.

 

[NZBlue]

Thankfully, religion is dying out, at least in the West. I think the average person is now just about intelligent and objective enough to see how ludicrous the concept of a talking snake and creation theory are.

Does this count?

 

[Canter]

I think what's lost on the conspiracy theorists is that modern governments really aren't that clever. Most governments are not plotting world domination, instead they're spending the vast majority of their energies trying to stay in government because the fact is we'd boot them out if we had any other choice.

You only have to look at the US right now, the Democrats panicked about the electability of their president (because he was unelectable) so they have put a new candidate in. Meanwhile Trump has absolutely no idea about what he's doing, instead he's just a dickhead. Either don't really know that much about what they're doing but one thing is certain and that's they certainly aren't getting into power to put 5G chips in people's heads.

What has really happened with conspiracy theorists is they've become more mainstream thanks to the people who take advantage of them for monetisation. The likes of Andrew Tate, Russell Brand, they're all the same. They have no actual views of note, they just know how to speak to a gullible crowd and take them for every penny they have.

They're the TV evangelists of our time.

I’m not sure if that link will work.

 

[BimboBob]

Perhaps the biggest barrier that I see which prevents progress and rationality is the natural resistance to change that is found in all of us.

If a person is taught as a child that a magic skydaddy on a cloud created everything, then that will be a core belief that can stay with them. Try to convince them otherwise and they're met with cognitive dissonance about key information that they've been told by those they trust (parents, teachers, religious leaders...). "I've always believed x to be true; now someone is telling me that x is false." So they dig their heels in, in order to relieve that psychological tension and convince themselves that their beliefs are correct. They will use anything as 'evidence' in order to achieve this.

I don't have the answer to this, but I will say that society needs children to be taught the scientific method and critical thinking skills in order to bring about an objective view on the world - including on social constructs.

Thankfully, religion is dying out, at least in the West. I think the average person is now just about intelligent and objective enough to see how ludicrous the concept of a talking snake and creation theory are.

Much the same as people voting for a political party because their parents did.

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

i have no problem with religion,each to their own, except when people go to war or murder in the name of it

Or determine laws that impact the way you go about your every day life…amongst other things.