Cow farts = methane, methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming; the beef industry produces a shocking amount of it because we have to raise so much cattle to meet demand.
Why we so rarely talk about the fact that critical thinking, learning and challenging beliefs is pretty much always really hard and very unpleasant and maybe even painful to everyone? Why not even in the critical thinking "community" is this simple but fundamental fact not the main talking point especially when relating to the vast majority of people who instinctively stay away from the pain this sort of effort brings? People do not avoid learning, we all naturally avoid the pain it comes with.
Oh, I know that having priviledged knowledge feels incredible. I mean, once you understand the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, you're never going back. And don't even get me started on Gelfond-Schneider.
Conspiracy theorists have always pointed to a "they". In the past 4 years, we have been shown who "they" are, and the goalposts got moved, so I don't care anymore.
I LOVE how these morons will decry peer-reviewed scientific studies, but then will cite sketchy, misleading or completely fabricated ones. Mainstream media CANNOT be trusted. But my uncle's Facebook feed....
A truly astonishing number of conspiracy theories lead back to the Jews. It frequently boils down to "the jews are controllinjg XYZ". Basically it's antisemitism (real actual antisemitism, not what the state of Israel calls antisemitism) with extra steps.
Conspiracy theories backdoor the mind to allow people to rip them off. I'm coming to realize that grift is a powerful tool to keep stupid shit like this in check.
I often feel like i know something than other people don't know (climate change is maintained and aggravated by rich fuckers who heavily propagandize against any meaningful change) and it doesn't feel good. It makes me furious.
The supreme irony is how these slope heads operate in bizzaro world, where they explicitly trust media in the precise areas where it actually SHOULDN'T be trusted, while DISTRUSTING the most overt scientific truths. It's a masterpiece of surreal ignorance.
If that happened, Israel would be correctly be inhabited only by Palestinians at this moment and the US would correctly have no reach for its zio-powered crimes anywhere on Earth. I don't think people have yet come to understand that algorithmic control of the flow of information is more powerful than literal raw propaganda as a means of warping public opinion to fit the interests of the criminals who run the place.
Small tweak: Social media is just massive content (yes, some portion of it propaganda). However, it's the ALGORITHMS that control the flow of that content. Who gets to see what, when, where, and how often (repetition). And that's precisely why filthy Zionists literally took over TikTok. Because it had massive reach & these cartoon villains NEEDED to get their parasite claws on those algos in order to censor what they didn't like, while selectively allowing positive imagery of their terror state.
Maybe you're not aware of this, because it's a term that I don't think is in common use any more, but the term "slope head" (and its shortened alternate, "slope") doesn't mean "stupid person", it's a racial slur against Asian people.
Yes I am... I think it's fairly obvious I'm not attacking Asians (or anyone based on race). It's an insult intended to paint the target as a "neanderthal" (aka slope headed). It's a commandeered term, essentially. I don't feel any risk of misunderstanding because it's exactly like you said, it's extremely uncommon use as a direct racial slur. I usually mix & match with "magaloid", which is arguably even more easily misunderstood for the obvious reason. Nevertheless, I appreciate the warning.
And you know what? That's MY fault completely because I KNOW its a risky phrase so I always qualify it by adding "neanderthal" or "baboon" or something else similar to the end of it, but this ONE time I slipped and didn't do it... And as expected, immediately got (thankfully) friendly commentary on it. I'll be more careful next time.
Thank you. I was trying to be friendly, because it was obvious from context what you were trying to say, and I think in the present day it's also somewhat obscure. (I think the last time I heard it might have been as dialogue in a Vietnam War movie--Apocalypse Now maybe?)
This is why I do not register as a party member, you stop thinking critically, you're "on the team - other team bad". Any religion same thing, you're in the know - everyone else not enlightened. People are dumb and far too many of them are in positions of authority from the police to government.
The infuriating thing is when these "crackpots" turn out to be right and then they just sorta stop believing since it became mainstream. My neighbor used to tell me all about the evil pedophilic elite but since epstein hit he has nothing to say
It's because it doesn't implicate, and I quote, "liberals, communists, Jews, and queers", and that's what the root conspiracies they believe in blame - since the real McCoy predominantly implicates the wealthy and right-wing (and, most especially, Donald Trump, their fucking Lord and savior), they no longer care, because the point of it all was to rehash Protocols of Zion and levy it against their political and social enemies/victims to instigate a new American Holocaust. That's it, folks.
That's because they choose to believe in these conspiracies because the conspiracy is what would have to be true in order to justify something else that they already believe. A huge pedophilic cabal was convenient when there was no evidence, because they could pretend the only ones involved were people they already didn't like. The reality of the Epstein class is that it's just a huge club of rich, powerful men, including their Great Leader, and that doesn't really help them.
For a lot of them it's also the 'wrong' people suddenly exposed as the actual thing. It was a great conspiracy as long as it was the people they didn't like doing the evil shit. Now that it's their side of the divide they try to shove it under the rug.
Tbh, "elite child rapist & ritual sacrifice cabal" turning out to be true but then being the right wing billionaires and politicians in The US really made many conspiracy theorist mad, 'cause they obviously blamed "trannies" and "leftists" for it.
Presumably, this is also influenced by the belief that it is the Democrats and the Jews "who eat children to be immortal." It is the Republicans who are fighting against this, after all. If Republicans are now convicted of pedophilia, it doesn't fit into this worldview and is suppressed.
My mom would harp on everyone in the family that the NEED to get vaccinated and take the flu shot every year. Since Covid, she's done a 180 on her views of vaccines.
Well because he learned that those evil paedos are his idols. If it turned out God voted for Hillary they'd never mention the Bible or their religion ever again.
What I hate is when they say, "I"ll stop believing conspiracies when they stop turning out to be true." None of them are ever true. Conspiracy theorists didn't say right-wingers were raping children on Epstein's island. They said liberals were smuggling children in cabinets and raping them in the basement of a basement-free pizzeria. Also that Hillary Clinton was drinking their blood to achieve immortality.
If you're wrong about the who, where, when and how, you're wrong, period.
Have they? Nobody said "The CIA Is experimenting with LSD" or "The government is lying to us about Vietnam," when those things were happening. They were too busy calling fluoridated water a commie plot.
I've been down most conspiracy holes... What I've found at the bottom of them is a lot of cognitive dissonance marinated in 100%, pure, unadulterated bullshit.
Usually find a couple of trolls stirring shit up there too. Like, im pretty sure most of the flat earth shit is pushed by trolls and then perpetuated by idiots who dont see the joke/satire in it
I think this one is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Racism is embedded in so many of the old, original conspiracy myth. And when someone gets exposed to one and starts to internalize it, then the process the woman in the video describes iterates, they will start to incorporate the racist ones that are already tied into the network. But in the opposite direction, people who are prone to racism will find themselves marinating online with mythologists that affirm them, but then expose more.
I've found that there is, at the bottom, a foundation of just not understanding how something actually works. There is always a profound ignorance of some kind; history, genetics, evolution, medicine, physics, etc. Just a flat wrong kernel of bullshit that they wrap their nonsense around.
Yup. Same with the health foods movement. X is healthier than y! Don't eat Z or it'll kill you! Except their longevity is pretty much on par with someone eating absolute trash. There's plenty of common sense health choices people can make and have better outcomes, but you hit diminishing returns pretty much instantly after those
When it comes to theories about "secret cabals" and "world domination" there's also usually a heavy dose of anti-Semitism mixed in there as well. Basically Protocols of the Elders of Zion with a fresh coat of paint on it.
I think people get drawn to conspiracy theories because it makes them feel special somehow. Distinguishing oneself used to be getting more information than others but now it’s the information you have wasn’t presented correctly.
From what I've seen, mainly my mom, conspiracy theorists are si.ply not looking for an answer, especially if the problem was caused by them. They are only looking for more problems.
I think it is uneducated people, needing to find a reason why their lives feel dystopian and needing to have someone to blame. It's either conspiracies or religion, it seems.
No, stupid is accurate here. In short, the less intelligent someone is, the more they will struggle with nuance (on average, ofc). Or more specifically, being *comfortable* with nuance. Less intelligent individuals will generally prefer explanations to questions which give clear good/bad or yes/no type divisions rather than those which involve lots of mitigating factors.
Unfortunately most of our modern problems involve nuance, so when given an easy alternative that's what they'll grab hold of
Take vaccines as an example. Sometimes someone can be vaccinated and still contract whatever it was protecting them from.
Intelligent people will be comfortable knowing there are dozens of reasons that may happen, even if we don't fully understand the biological mechanisms involved. Less intelligent people struggle with that uncertainty, so when someone offers them an alternative (scientists are just evil / out for money / shadow govt) it feels unconsciously "safer", aka "correct" to them.
In theory, maybe. In practice, they often use that education to undermine further education. They're able to hold up credentials and use that to criticize valid scientific progress with underhanded falsehoods. They use their education to control the ignorant, getting off on their manipulation. And eventually they buy into their own lies and charisma.
This is true, but knowing something about how the world works and how different aspects of society interacts is preventive (to some extent, anyway) against falling for conspiracy theories easily. I totally agree that education is not synonymous with intelligence, that is being proven on a daily basis.
A basic question to ask is what’s 1x1 equal. Flat earthers especially have a big problem with this one. And it bleeds into the rest of their conspiracy theories. If they don’t immediately say one you’re talking to a nut job and should run.
In business leaders chose different thinkers to distrupt group think but once disrupters got that high of being right and changing the group think they couldn’t stop so they kept going even if they were wrong and their conclusions were no longer based on anything. I always assume its the same thing
and greed...somewhere down the rabbit hole there most often is a scam...flat earth experts selling books, antivaxx influencers selling essential oils or some shit, etc, nearly all of them sell some garbage to gullible idiots, which is why most of these nonsense websites are crosslinked with each other and the bullshit influencers commonly spread more than one nonsense theory, to attract more gullible idiots form the other conspiracies...which is part of the reason of what the vid talks about...
I personally don't mind some natural remedies (willow bark for pain, plantain for small injuries), but I'm not going to outright deny vaccines and other stuff. Sunscreen is still a little iffy with me, though. I use it, but there have definitely been some studies that find it can cause issues, but it's like would I rather risk super high sun cancer or a smaller chance for chemical cancer.
One thing I've noticed is that it seems like if you live long enough, everyone gets some kind of cancer eventually. Almost as if it's part of the experience of being a creature of Sol. We obviously want to try to avoid things that raise our chance of getting premature or particularly awful cancers, but it's impossible to avoid them all so we shouldn't let our fear get in the way of experiencing life. You are going to get cancer eventually, may as well have it while being wrinkle and sunburn free
Some people don't. My grandfather was a chainsmoker for like 80 years and eventually died when he couldn't recover after a bad fall, at 101. They should have been studying him to see if he had some kind of resistance.
I figured out that lemon verbena works decently well as a sleep aid for me, and it's been in fairly rigorous studies and well documented. It's anti-inflammatory properties work well with the sleep aid properties which lead to a better sleep overall
That and unlike melatonin supplements I don't get sleep paralysis and see Kevin the shadow figure. (And it smells good as a yard plant)
Ever noticed how a lot of those are "Feel good conspiracies"? With that I mean, they're 100% on board with things that feel good, are fun or are easy to do (and also reactionary and usually pro-corporate). "Smoking doesn't cause cancer", "Red meat is great", "Fossile fuels are awesome" etc.
Look at how many people on "the left" will place 100% of the blame for global warming on the rich and get super mad if you point out that their luxury truck is part of the problem.
Or how many people in general will attack vegetarianism and veganism in every way they can think of. It's easier to think that "you can't get protein without meat" than it is to acknowledge that killing cows is wrong.
Yeah...But also no. While of course our own consumption and waste production matters, a lot discussion around personal contributions towards combating climate change only exists as a means to distract from those who have a larger responsibility. It is very much fair to call campaigns out on their bullshit if the narrative is just ''what can you do'' instead of what can society do.
It's direct action vs rhetoric. You and I can't stop BP from selling the gas we use to drive entirely but we can choose to bike to work.
Claiming "I don't need to change my life because somebody else has more power" is no different than people who hand their neighbors over to ICE because "I don't have the power to stop the deportations, I'm not the president."
The one about the sun not causing cancer isn't one I heard before but I immediately loved the idea. Sunburns suck, but they're temporary. It's the danger of long term damage that I'm worried about and I worry every time I'm outside. I'd rather believe sunlight isn't that dangerous even though I know it's one of the most certain scientific conclusions that it is.
A lot of those are knee jerks reactions. "Environmentalists are telling me to stop burning gas? FUCK YOU!" "Government is telling me to wear a mask? FUCK YOU" etc.
Indeed, but because those things are unpleasant or just not fun. I bet no one would complain about "the government tells me to stop working at 11, have a nice mean and then do some fun things in the afternoon".
Firstly the comment said "A lot of those" not "every single one" so bringing up counterpoints doesn't really negate what they said? That "nah" is unwarranted. On the "cleanse" thing: The unpleasantness of self-inflicted diarrhea is less compared to the unpleasantness of doctors. They want to feel in CONTROL and the whole point of doctors is to give up control to an expert. Feeling elitist is just the cherry on top. Imho I see it as an exception that proves the rule: Avoid pain, seek pleasure.
I'm so upset that it's apparently supposed to be making us happy. HOW. You have to explain it ten billion fucking times, and suffer from others' choices, and feel like nobody listens to you...
I worked at a nursing facility through the pandemic! I am NOT happy about my privileged fucking knowledge! 😭
It often starts with christianity. That's the gateway conspiracy theory. Once a human brain has been primed to think within a mystery religion framework – small group of true believers who see the world for what it really is whereas mainstream society is blind to the truth and has been led astray by false prophets etc. – it will readily accept any kind of science- and reality-rejecting conspiracy nuttery that fits the same pattern.
Probably. Definitely the theistic ones. There are a few that are just ethical philosophies, like confucianism, humanist unitarian universalism, or atheistic satanism. But that really stretches the definition of religion.
I will say, there is something unique to evangelical Christians, the whole personal relationship with Jesus thing. Like you can take and leave what you like. Reminds of the dinner scene in that Will Ferrell racing movie where he talks about them all saying Grace to a different version of Jesus
As an atheist and former mainstream Protestant and former fundamentalist and person who’s looked at the research (esp. Pew), most Christians are cool with science. They believe human intellect is a gift from God, and if empirical evidence and logic contradicts beliefs, the beliefs must be mistaken. Not surprising, their numbers are shrinking, becoming “nones” who aren’t atheist/agnostic, but don’t label as Christian, either.
This is why I can't understand people who say science and religion don't have to conflict. One is saying you can't come to any conclusions without evidence, the other is saying you don't need any evidence to come to a conclusion. They're diametrically opposed. Yes, an individual person can follow both, but only by drawing some kind of line between them and saying "this part of the universe I *do* need evidence for, but this part I *don't* need evidence for. For some reason."
I've personally witnessed it go the other way. Starting at conspiracies and gradually ending up "independently" religious... I ceased contact cause I dont want to know where that ends.
Tack on the financial benefit of getting clicks and we get the influx of intellectual dishonesty propagating to absurd numbers of idiots with no digital literacy. The layman's access to passing the offering plate around multiple times on a sunday.
I disagree. there's Christianity everywhere. its only in North America USA where these conspiracies are born. and they are born exclusively out of greed because its allowed to scam people in religious institutions.
Only in America? Take homeopathy, for example. One of thousands of pseudomedical scams that originate all over the globe, in this case in Germany. It's based on the wild conspiracy theory that scientific medicine (or "allopathy" as believers call it) has no intention of curing disease and instead only alleviates symptoms while deliberately keeping patients sick, whereas magic memory water is a cure-all. A very common claim behind miracle cures. America doesn't have a monopoly on this nonsense.
It's the same thing with acupuncture and homeopathy. Once you start down the road of feeling comfortable believing something that is demonstrably wrong, it gets easier and easier to believe in other things that are demonstrably wrong because you no longer value proof.
Idk about that chief, remember the churches of Europe killing anyone that didn't accept their religion? The crusades weren't a work of fiction. American religion isn't any better or worse across the world.
Oh no, you don't get off that easily. It's worked the world over centuries before America came about, in many "religions". Including yours. Especially yours.
The problem is faith. It requires you to not look for evidence. Evidence is the only tangible thing we have to confirm or deny a claim. Once you no longer look to back up your beliefs with evidence and fact then the war for rational thought has been lost.
The entire religion is a conspiracy theory, regardless of the flavor/denomination. Praying – "I beam my thoughts into space & a magical being reads them and alters reality on my behalf" – is what psychiatrists call magical thinking. A textbook symptom of paranoid schizophrenia. And then there is the evil counterpart of this magical being who also reads your thoughts and whispers bad ideas in your ear. Also textbook paranoid delusion. If it weren't so widespread we'd be treating it as an illness.
You know all leading scientists in islamic theocracies are officially muslims? Goes to show that this doesn't prove anything except that people were afraid to out themselves as agnostics / atheists in the past, and still are in countries where religious affiliation is the norm. In the developed Western world, religiosity is inversely correlated with education level these days. It's especially low among STEM academics. Religiosity is also declining in the general populace as education improves.
Im sure historically a number of scientists werent true believers. Are you under the impression that must mean none of them were or that modern leaders of science are pretending for some reason? Dwindling or not it doesnt change the fact that plenty of people can be religious and still not only be critical thinkers but actually be leaders in the scientific community. You saying religion is the first belief conspiracy theorists fall for sounds like the weed gateway drug argument.
Look at the countries with the best public education. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Japan always rank at or near the top. As it happens, these are also the least religious countries with an overwhelming majority of non-religious individuals. That's no coincidence. Neither is the high quality of life in these countries compared to places like the US.
Religion in general needs to be taught in childhood, so the mind has accepted it as familiar before it can learn critical thinking. There's a reason the overwhelming majority of religious people has the same religion as their parents.
This being said, being brought up with religion can have a sort of a normalising or even numbing effect with religion becoming more "background noise" rather than some big guiding set principles and values in life. The really crazy stuff shows up with born again christians, who've found religion later in life. They are the people, who are REALLY into that shit, because you often need to be in a really bad place to turn to religion as an adult, which often results in a super zealous mindset.
Yep. And all the widespread proselytizing religions contain a supernatural threat that shuts down all critical thought as soon as people start to doubt. Like eternal torture in some sort of divine concentration camp. Otherwise believers would inevitably realize at a certain age that Yahweh/Jesus is just Santa Claus for adults. But the threat of punishment keeps them trapped in the belief system even if it hurts them (e.g., religious LGBT people), and it also forces them to infect their children.
Which is why I'm not impressed when someone shows me a religious STEM scientist. Deconversion is a painful process and it often alienates people from their loved ones, so a lot of fairly intelligent people learn to compartmentalize and maintain several conflicting world views. Like Michael Shermer said, "smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons" (usually when they were kids).
TupacAintDead
Stupid. They’re stupid. It’s that simple.
NothingPrince
This explains how my mates anti vax wife has now found God.
michaeloberg
This amazing paper just won an award discussing these issues:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/political-science-research-and-methods/article/heroes-and-villains-motivated-projection-of-political-identities/959F0615FCDD1739A904521E270DE46E
TheUnstoppableWampas
I do have knowledge that most people don't have and it does feel amazing. I'm an engineer, and it's called science.
Sebastopol140
Their brains are already wired to reject facts and not see contradictions, it makes sense it's easy for them to believe in even more shit.
SacrificialClam
Whats this about cow farts though?
Harbltron
Cow farts = methane, methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming; the beef industry produces a shocking amount of it because we have to raise so much cattle to meet demand.
picselator
Why we so rarely talk about the fact that critical thinking, learning and challenging beliefs is pretty much always really hard and very unpleasant and maybe even painful to everyone? Why not even in the critical thinking "community" is this simple but fundamental fact not the main talking point especially when relating to the vast majority of people who instinctively stay away from the pain this sort of effort brings? People do not avoid learning, we all naturally avoid the pain it comes with.
ItHappenedInThe20thCentury
Oh, I know that having priviledged knowledge feels incredible. I mean, once you understand the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, you're never going back. And don't even get me started on Gelfond-Schneider.
Kilsta
Conspiracy theorists have always pointed to a "they". In the past 4 years, we have been shown who "they" are, and the goalposts got moved, so I don't care anymore.
Gin2ki
How is it they saying goes? The only way dumb people can feel they know something smart people don't know, is by believing in conspiracies?
Noahbalboa82
Interesting breakdown on what we've historically just given the title of "idiots", "morons ", or "jackass".
Righteousdew
I wonder why people start counting with their thumb. Maybe it's one of those recency bias things, but I feel like I see it all the time now.
TheShogunOfSarcasm
I LOVE how these morons will decry peer-reviewed scientific studies, but then will cite sketchy, misleading or completely fabricated ones. Mainstream media CANNOT be trusted. But my uncle's Facebook feed....
unluckyandbored
A truly astonishing number of conspiracy theories lead back to the Jews. It frequently boils down to "the jews are controllinjg XYZ". Basically it's antisemitism (real actual antisemitism, not what the state of Israel calls antisemitism) with extra steps.
SexGolem
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It's what I call "foundational crankery".
chinesemario
If you do whatever someone tells you to do or you do the exact opposite of that they say the have the same amount of control over you
dghughes
What about those horrid chemicals. We all know that all chemicals are bad right lol
lightfoot2
Conspiracy theories backdoor the mind to allow people to rip them off. I'm coming to realize that grift is a powerful tool to keep stupid shit like this in check.
elgalileo
I often feel like i know something than other people don't know (climate change is maintained and aggravated by rich fuckers who heavily propagandize against any meaningful change) and it doesn't feel good. It makes me furious.
NChomsky
The supreme irony is how these slope heads operate in bizzaro world, where they explicitly trust media in the precise areas where it actually SHOULDN'T be trusted, while DISTRUSTING the most overt scientific truths. It's a masterpiece of surreal ignorance.
Primatebuddy
Like "Dr. Whatstheirface" who has a sociology degree offering their opinion on vaccines.
HEXtheDark
Confirmation bias. The media they consume confirms their own ideas.
xxFUBDxx
This 👆
do7rkb5n
Algorithms should be illegal, or severely restricted
NChomsky
If that happened, Israel would be correctly be inhabited only by Palestinians at this moment and the US would correctly have no reach for its zio-powered crimes anywhere on Earth. I don't think people have yet come to understand that algorithmic control of the flow of information is more powerful than literal raw propaganda as a means of warping public opinion to fit the interests of the criminals who run the place.
do7rkb5n
Social media is a super propaganda machine. And that was before the advent of AI.
NChomsky
Small tweak: Social media is just massive content (yes, some portion of it propaganda). However, it's the ALGORITHMS that control the flow of that content. Who gets to see what, when, where, and how often (repetition). And that's precisely why filthy Zionists literally took over TikTok. Because it had massive reach & these cartoon villains NEEDED to get their parasite claws on those algos in order to censor what they didn't like, while selectively allowing positive imagery of their terror state.
bikergeek6249
Maybe you're not aware of this, because it's a term that I don't think is in common use any more, but the term "slope head" (and its shortened alternate, "slope") doesn't mean "stupid person", it's a racial slur against Asian people.
TI99Kitty
Oh wow. I'd never heard it used that way before. I've always heard it it the context of comparing someone to a Neanderthal or a caveman.
NChomsky
Yes I am... I think it's fairly obvious I'm not attacking Asians (or anyone based on race). It's an insult intended to paint the target as a "neanderthal" (aka slope headed). It's a commandeered term, essentially. I don't feel any risk of misunderstanding because it's exactly like you said, it's extremely uncommon use as a direct racial slur. I usually mix & match with "magaloid", which is arguably even more easily misunderstood for the obvious reason. Nevertheless, I appreciate the warning.
Primatebuddy
I will just say that, while I knew what you meant, it did make me wince a little.
NChomsky
And you know what? That's MY fault completely because I KNOW its a risky phrase so I always qualify it by adding "neanderthal" or "baboon" or something else similar to the end of it, but this ONE time I slipped and didn't do it... And as expected, immediately got (thankfully) friendly commentary on it. I'll be more careful next time.
bikergeek6249
Thank you. I was trying to be friendly, because it was obvious from context what you were trying to say, and I think in the present day it's also somewhat obscure. (I think the last time I heard it might have been as dialogue in a Vietnam War movie--Apocalypse Now maybe?)
Primatebuddy
Yeah I am not judging or anything because friend, I'm right there with you.
charondaboatman
Oh, I can vouch for crippling fatigue is sometimes just because you’re getting older. Yep.
Subsound
Also the..."hey, one more thing" or "If youre already up can you do , , and for me? Thanks! Im just assuming youll say yes so Im out the door already"
Ratchet600
Should start putting it that breathing is recommended by health experts and see what happens. Muhahahaha
Cearnaigh
"Well that's just what big oxygen WANTS you to think, sheeple!"
Ratchet600
"Oxygen is the worst oxidant of all! Wake up BREATHERS!"
DorkJedi
I have said many times Obama could remove the conservative base by simply coming out in favor of breathing.
AtomicAtlas
Why is everyone of them spelling vaccines with x/@/! - are they getting it from the same source?
xxFUBDxx
This is why I do not register as a party member, you stop thinking critically, you're "on the team - other team bad". Any religion same thing, you're in the know - everyone else not enlightened. People are dumb and far too many of them are in positions of authority from the police to government.
Miller16of16
CIA coined the phrase "conspiracy theorist" to discredit people who didn't buy into the Warren Commission.
ahorseelbowdeepinme
The infuriating thing is when these "crackpots" turn out to be right and then they just sorta stop believing since it became mainstream. My neighbor used to tell me all about the evil pedophilic elite but since epstein hit he has nothing to say
ImGoingToGoFallAsleepOnABench
It's because it doesn't implicate, and I quote, "liberals, communists, Jews, and queers", and that's what the root conspiracies they believe in blame - since the real McCoy predominantly implicates the wealthy and right-wing (and, most especially, Donald Trump, their fucking Lord and savior), they no longer care, because the point of it all was to rehash Protocols of Zion and levy it against their political and social enemies/victims to instigate a new American Holocaust. That's it, folks.
LtRooney
That's because they choose to believe in these conspiracies because the conspiracy is what would have to be true in order to justify something else that they already believe. A huge pedophilic cabal was convenient when there was no evidence, because they could pretend the only ones involved were people they already didn't like. The reality of the Epstein class is that it's just a huge club of rich, powerful men, including their Great Leader, and that doesn't really help them.
Cearnaigh
For a lot of them it's also the 'wrong' people suddenly exposed as the actual thing. It was a great conspiracy as long as it was the people they didn't like doing the evil shit. Now that it's their side of the divide they try to shove it under the rug.
Eldis
Tbh, "elite child rapist & ritual sacrifice cabal" turning out to be true but then being the right wing billionaires and politicians in The US really made many conspiracy theorist mad, 'cause they obviously blamed "trannies" and "leftists" for it.
Xenarion
Makes sense. The appeal was being part of a special group that doesn't follow the mainstream.
sugarsharkshack
Also it involved people he liked politically so cognitive dissonance kicked in
Thorketil
Presumably, this is also influenced by the belief that it is the Democrats and the Jews "who eat children to be immortal." It is the Republicans who are fighting against this, after all. If Republicans are now convicted of pedophilia, it doesn't fit into this worldview and is suppressed.
cjandstuff
My mom would harp on everyone in the family that the NEED to get vaccinated and take the flu shot every year.
Since Covid, she's done a 180 on her views of vaccines.
lickwidghost
Well because he learned that those evil paedos are his idols. If it turned out God voted for Hillary they'd never mention the Bible or their religion ever again.
copperdomebodhi
What I hate is when they say, "I"ll stop believing conspiracies when they stop turning out to be true." None of them are ever true. Conspiracy theorists didn't say right-wingers were raping children on Epstein's island. They said liberals were smuggling children in cabinets and raping them in the basement of a basement-free pizzeria. Also that Hillary Clinton was drinking their blood to achieve immortality.
If you're wrong about the who, where, when and how, you're wrong, period.
ahorseelbowdeepinme
Well, tbf, there's been nore than a few that have panned out
haggerton
Those are not the only conspiracy theories bront. Plenty of "conspiracy theories" turned out to be true.
copperdomebodhi
Have they? Nobody said "The CIA Is experimenting with LSD" or "The government is lying to us about Vietnam," when those things were happening. They were too busy calling fluoridated water a commie plot.
Kilo11
Lmao you believe conspiracies are real?
BloomAndGrowIris
Pfft, you believe in the moon?
TheWombatStrikesAgain
No, that's just the backside of the sun. Everyone knows this.
Kilo11
Pffffffft you believe in believing? Sheep
BloomAndGrowIris
Damn, did I just get infinity plus one'd?
Kilo11
Pffffffffffffffffft you believe you just got something?
xxFUBDxx
Pfft you think birds are real?
OutboardOverlord
I've been down most conspiracy holes... What I've found at the bottom of them is a lot of cognitive dissonance marinated in 100%, pure, unadulterated bullshit.
liveOffOfDownVotes
Except for that whole Epstein one. That Trump cooking babies one ended up being real.
Z0op
Usually find a couple of trolls stirring shit up there too.
Like, im pretty sure most of the flat earth shit is pushed by trolls and then perpetuated by idiots who dont see the joke/satire in it
obesz
I thought you were going to end that with "hatred". Cause that would be my take.
13579rocket
That’s definitely my take.
OutboardOverlord
In my book, that is the end product of cognitive dissonance marinated in 100% BS so... yeah. :)
CammunistManifesto
Most conspiracy theories are just racism in a new suit
nclu
I think this one is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Racism is embedded in so many of the old, original conspiracy myth. And when someone gets exposed to one and starts to internalize it, then the process the woman in the video describes iterates, they will start to incorporate the racist ones that are already tied into the network. But in the opposite direction, people who are prone to racism will find themselves marinating online with mythologists that affirm them, but then expose more.
lichtly
I've found that there is, at the bottom, a foundation of just not understanding how something actually works. There is always a profound ignorance of some kind; history, genetics, evolution, medicine, physics, etc. Just a flat wrong kernel of bullshit that they wrap their nonsense around.
bridgebrain
Yup. Same with the health foods movement. X is healthier than y! Don't eat Z or it'll kill you! Except their longevity is pretty much on par with someone eating absolute trash. There's plenty of common sense health choices people can make and have better outcomes, but you hit diminishing returns pretty much instantly after those
HandoB4Javert
Working hard gets rewarded
HandoB4Javert
El Empleo (The Employment) - by Patricio Plaza & Santiago Grasso.
Animated short film on the alienation of work.
Nawoi
Conditioned into blind faith
Primatebuddy
Oh the JFK hole. The journey was fun but the end was eh.
Sasurau
Stupid people believe multiple stupid fucking things because they're stupid.
bikergeek6249
When it comes to theories about "secret cabals" and "world domination" there's also usually a heavy dose of anti-Semitism mixed in there as well. Basically Protocols of the Elders of Zion with a fresh coat of paint on it.
robpaschal
I've found most conspiracy theories, at the very bottom, are just a hatred of Jews.
Eldis
Also a really fucking heavy Dunning-Kruger -effect, to the point rhetorical devices that work on less ailed individuals will fail to help them.
jbrightmans
I think people get drawn to conspiracy theories because it makes them feel special somehow. Distinguishing oneself used to be getting more information than others but now it’s the information you have wasn’t presented correctly.
snaptacular
Generally the people who believe in them are SO RESENTFUL too.
Sticklebrickk
From what I've seen, mainly my mom, conspiracy theorists are si.ply not looking for an answer, especially if the problem was caused by them. They are only looking for more problems.
TorrentialUpPour
It's just stupid people desperate to feel like the one who knows something that others don't for once.
wkearney99
FOMO for the slow.
OutboardOverlord
I think it is uneducated people, needing to find a reason why their lives feel dystopian and needing to have someone to blame. It's either conspiracies or religion, it seems.
thejon
No, stupid is accurate here. In short, the less intelligent someone is, the more they will struggle with nuance (on average, ofc). Or more specifically, being *comfortable* with nuance. Less intelligent individuals will generally prefer explanations to questions which give clear good/bad or yes/no type divisions rather than those which involve lots of mitigating factors.
Unfortunately most of our modern problems involve nuance, so when given an easy alternative that's what they'll grab hold of
thejon
Take vaccines as an example. Sometimes someone can be vaccinated and still contract whatever it was protecting them from.
Intelligent people will be comfortable knowing there are dozens of reasons that may happen, even if we don't fully understand the biological mechanisms involved. Less intelligent people struggle with that uncertainty, so when someone offers them an alternative (scientists are just evil / out for money / shadow govt) it feels unconsciously "safer", aka "correct" to them.
silversean
I mean, Ronald Reagan existed and was real and actually implemented stuff which made their lives worse.
TorrentialUpPour
Yeah but Reagan said he was making their lives better! And what, are you going to believe actions over words? Pfft.
TorrentialUpPour
Plenty of educated people believe in conspiracies and religion. Education is not a synonym for intelligence.
Antrobus55
But at some level it is an improvement from feral ignorance.
TorrentialUpPour
In theory, maybe. In practice, they often use that education to undermine further education. They're able to hold up credentials and use that to criticize valid scientific progress with underhanded falsehoods. They use their education to control the ignorant, getting off on their manipulation. And eventually they buy into their own lies and charisma.
OutboardOverlord
This is true, but knowing something about how the world works and how different aspects of society interacts is preventive (to some extent, anyway) against falling for conspiracy theories easily. I totally agree that education is not synonymous with intelligence, that is being proven on a daily basis.
azgrak1
A basic question to ask is what’s 1x1 equal. Flat earthers especially have a big problem with this one. And it bleeds into the rest of their conspiracy theories. If they don’t immediately say one you’re talking to a nut job and should run.
straycatstrut
Most of the maximalist conspiracy theories just seem like a cover for antisemitism
ThoseRulesArentReal
In business leaders chose different thinkers to distrupt group think but once disrupters got that high of being right and changing the group think they couldn’t stop so they kept going even if they were wrong and their conclusions were no longer based on anything. I always assume its the same thing
RecurringNightmare
and greed...somewhere down the rabbit hole there most often is a scam...flat earth experts selling books, antivaxx influencers selling essential oils or some shit, etc, nearly all of them sell some garbage to gullible idiots, which is why most of these nonsense websites are crosslinked with each other and the bullshit influencers commonly spread more than one nonsense theory, to attract more gullible idiots form the other conspiracies...which is part of the reason of what the vid talks about...
MeatPopsicleMultiPass
I personally don't mind some natural remedies (willow bark for pain, plantain for small injuries), but I'm not going to outright deny vaccines and other stuff. Sunscreen is still a little iffy with me, though. I use it, but there have definitely been some studies that find it can cause issues, but it's like would I rather risk super high sun cancer or a smaller chance for chemical cancer.
TheInternetNeedsMoreCats
One thing I've noticed is that it seems like if you live long enough, everyone gets some kind of cancer eventually. Almost as if it's part of the experience of being a creature of Sol. We obviously want to try to avoid things that raise our chance of getting premature or particularly awful cancers, but it's impossible to avoid them all so we shouldn't let our fear get in the way of experiencing life. You are going to get cancer eventually, may as well have it while being wrinkle and sunburn free
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
Some people don't. My grandfather was a chainsmoker for like 80 years and eventually died when he couldn't recover after a bad fall, at 101. They should have been studying him to see if he had some kind of resistance.
Kehy
I figured out that lemon verbena works decently well as a sleep aid for me, and it's been in fairly rigorous studies and well documented. It's anti-inflammatory properties work well with the sleep aid properties which lead to a better sleep overall
That and unlike melatonin supplements I don't get sleep paralysis and see Kevin the shadow figure. (And it smells good as a yard plant)
HEXtheDark
Ever noticed how a lot of those are "Feel good conspiracies"? With that I mean, they're 100% on board with things that feel good, are fun or are easy to do (and also reactionary and usually pro-corporate). "Smoking doesn't cause cancer", "Red meat is great", "Fossile fuels are awesome" etc.
LostCaterpillar
This isn't limited to conservatives either.
Look at how many people on "the left" will place 100% of the blame for global warming on the rich and get super mad if you point out that their luxury truck is part of the problem.
Or how many people in general will attack vegetarianism and veganism in every way they can think of. It's easier to think that "you can't get protein without meat" than it is to acknowledge that killing cows is wrong.
Osgarth
Yeah...But also no. While of course our own consumption and waste production matters, a lot discussion around personal contributions towards combating climate change only exists as a means to distract from those who have a larger responsibility. It is very much fair to call campaigns out on their bullshit if the narrative is just ''what can you do'' instead of what can society do.
LostCaterpillar
It's direct action vs rhetoric. You and I can't stop BP from selling the gas we use to drive entirely but we can choose to bike to work.
Claiming "I don't need to change my life because somebody else has more power" is no different than people who hand their neighbors over to ICE because "I don't have the power to stop the deportations, I'm not the president."
IHateTransphobes
That ICE thing is a false equivalence. Not only that, but biking to work is often impossible to do safely, if at all.
MichelGoussu
This is what makes me angry the most. All is rationalization to keep being shitty individuals.
InconspicuousLampshade
The one about the sun not causing cancer isn't one I heard before but I immediately loved the idea. Sunburns suck, but they're temporary. It's the danger of long term damage that I'm worried about and I worry every time I'm outside. I'd rather believe sunlight isn't that dangerous even though I know it's one of the most certain scientific conclusions that it is.
Xenarion
A lot of those are knee jerks reactions. "Environmentalists are telling me to stop burning gas? FUCK YOU!" "Government is telling me to wear a mask? FUCK YOU" etc.
HEXtheDark
Indeed, but because those things are unpleasant or just not fun. I bet no one would complain about "the government tells me to stop working at 11, have a nice mean and then do some fun things in the afternoon".
PubMed12927120suckssobad
Mostly. We all decieve ourselves and good thing, too, else I wouldn't get much fun. But some of their bulls hit is for tribal signalling
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
nah, some like purge cures and hypervigilance are unpleasant
it's about feeling endowed with exciting if terrible knowledge - the same reward that drives tabloid sales
OnlyWantToSayOneThing
Firstly the comment said "A lot of those" not "every single one" so bringing up counterpoints doesn't really negate what they said? That "nah" is unwarranted.
On the "cleanse" thing: The unpleasantness of self-inflicted diarrhea is less compared to the unpleasantness of doctors. They want to feel in CONTROL and the whole point of doctors is to give up control to an expert. Feeling elitist is just the cherry on top. Imho I see it as an exception that proves the rule: Avoid pain, seek pleasure.
Sparkmateriality
I have privileged knowledge over the MAGA cult. It's called science.
knotwingknot
I'm so upset that it's apparently supposed to be making us happy. HOW. You have to explain it ten billion fucking times, and suffer from others' choices, and feel like nobody listens to you...
I worked at a nursing facility through the pandemic! I am NOT happy about my privileged fucking knowledge! 😭
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1OWF5bnlpYjlmbW82dW1qdHUydjN4eWNsdzZ1aGt4Z291MWZ5Y2J6MSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/fOQs20FLdvINW/200w.webp
Sparkmateriality
I'm not happy either. Ignorance is bliss for the ignorant.
xxFUBDxx
Don't get too smug though, they are really fucking dumb.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
It often starts with christianity. That's the gateway conspiracy theory. Once a human brain has been primed to think within a mystery religion framework – small group of true believers who see the world for what it really is whereas mainstream society is blind to the truth and has been led astray by false prophets etc. – it will readily accept any kind of science- and reality-rejecting conspiracy nuttery that fits the same pattern.
Stringgeek
Not just Christianity but any religion.
deweydecibel
Any religion, really
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Probably. Definitely the theistic ones. There are a few that are just ethical philosophies, like confucianism, humanist unitarian universalism, or atheistic satanism. But that really stretches the definition of religion.
deweydecibel
I will say, there is something unique to evangelical Christians, the whole personal relationship with Jesus thing. Like you can take and leave what you like. Reminds of the dinner scene in that Will Ferrell racing movie where he talks about them all saying Grace to a different version of Jesus
seedye
As an atheist and former mainstream Protestant and former fundamentalist and person who’s looked at the research (esp. Pew), most Christians are cool with science. They believe human intellect is a gift from God, and if empirical evidence and logic contradicts beliefs, the beliefs must be mistaken. Not surprising, their numbers are shrinking, becoming “nones” who aren’t atheist/agnostic, but don’t label as Christian, either.
icouldntthinkofabetterusername2
Learning to believe outrageous claims without evidence leads to believing more things without evidence, who’d a thunk.
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
This is why I can't understand people who say science and religion don't have to conflict. One is saying you can't come to any conclusions without evidence, the other is saying you don't need any evidence to come to a conclusion. They're diametrically opposed. Yes, an individual person can follow both, but only by drawing some kind of line between them and saying "this part of the universe I *do* need evidence for, but this part I *don't* need evidence for. For some reason."
WienerBeener
I've personally witnessed it go the other way. Starting at conspiracies and gradually ending up "independently" religious... I ceased contact cause I dont want to know where that ends.
Vidikron
Tack on the financial benefit of getting clicks and we get the influx of intellectual dishonesty propagating to absurd numbers of idiots with no digital literacy. The layman's access to passing the offering plate around multiple times on a sunday.
MauroMolinero
I disagree. there's Christianity everywhere. its only in North America USA where these conspiracies are born. and they are born exclusively out of greed because its allowed to scam people in religious institutions.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Only in America? Take homeopathy, for example. One of thousands of pseudomedical scams that originate all over the globe, in this case in Germany. It's based on the wild conspiracy theory that scientific medicine (or "allopathy" as believers call it) has no intention of curing disease and instead only alleviates symptoms while deliberately keeping patients sick, whereas magic memory water is a cure-all. A very common claim behind miracle cures. America doesn't have a monopoly on this nonsense.
TI99Kitty
Not to mention acupuncture... animal parts as aphrodisiacs... pretty sure essential oils didn't originate in the US...
There are stupid, gullible people in every society.
igetit41
It's the same thing with acupuncture and homeopathy. Once you start down the road of feeling comfortable believing something that is demonstrably wrong, it gets easier and easier to believe in other things that are demonstrably wrong because you no longer value proof.
downsouthfarm
Perfect ironic example of exactly crank magnetism.
HEXtheDark
Not Christianity. American evangelism.
zellar2020
Idk about that chief, remember the churches of Europe killing anyone that didn't accept their religion? The crusades weren't a work of fiction. American religion isn't any better or worse across the world.
lightfoot2
Oh no, you don't get off that easily. It's worked the world over centuries before America came about, in many "religions". Including yours. Especially yours.
KrampusCopia
The problem is faith. It requires you to not look for evidence. Evidence is the only tangible thing we have to confirm or deny a claim. Once you no longer look to back up your beliefs with evidence and fact then the war for rational thought has been lost.
Cataleast
Aye, it's always a bad sign when anything categorically paints an inquisitive, critical mind as something to be wary of.
KrampusCopia
Yeah. For example
Porverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Gross!
boevis
I know enough non-American Christians, nah, it's global
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
The entire religion is a conspiracy theory, regardless of the flavor/denomination. Praying – "I beam my thoughts into space & a magical being reads them and alters reality on my behalf" – is what psychiatrists call magical thinking. A textbook symptom of paranoid schizophrenia. And then there is the evil counterpart of this magical being who also reads your thoughts and whispers bad ideas in your ear. Also textbook paranoid delusion. If it weren't so widespread we'd be treating it as an illness.
ahorseelbowdeepinme
You know many leading scientists, historically and in modern times, were and are religious right?
ahorseelbowdeepinme
TI99Kitty
You know many of them were persecuted and killed by their religious leaders, right?
ahorseelbowdeepinme
Hmm. It's almost like "religion" isnt one consolidated demographic and actually a myriad of differing beliefs, histories, and cultures.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
You know all leading scientists in islamic theocracies are officially muslims? Goes to show that this doesn't prove anything except that people were afraid to out themselves as agnostics / atheists in the past, and still are in countries where religious affiliation is the norm. In the developed Western world, religiosity is inversely correlated with education level these days. It's especially low among STEM academics. Religiosity is also declining in the general populace as education improves.
ahorseelbowdeepinme
Im sure historically a number of scientists werent true believers. Are you under the impression that must mean none of them were or that modern leaders of science are pretending for some reason? Dwindling or not it doesnt change the fact that plenty of people can be religious and still not only be critical thinkers but actually be leaders in the scientific community. You saying religion is the first belief conspiracy theorists fall for sounds like the weed gateway drug argument.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Look at the countries with the best public education. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Japan always rank at or near the top. As it happens, these are also the least religious countries with an overwhelming majority of non-religious individuals. That's no coincidence. Neither is the high quality of life in these countries compared to places like the US.
TheWombatStrikesAgain
Religion in general needs to be taught in childhood, so the mind has accepted it as familiar before it can learn critical thinking. There's a reason the overwhelming majority of religious people has the same religion as their parents.
Cataleast
This being said, being brought up with religion can have a sort of a normalising or even numbing effect with religion becoming more "background noise" rather than some big guiding set principles and values in life. The really crazy stuff shows up with born again christians, who've found religion later in life. They are the people, who are REALLY into that shit, because you often need to be in a really bad place to turn to religion as an adult, which often results in a super zealous mindset.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Yep. And all the widespread proselytizing religions contain a supernatural threat that shuts down all critical thought as soon as people start to doubt. Like eternal torture in some sort of divine concentration camp. Otherwise believers would inevitably realize at a certain age that Yahweh/Jesus is just Santa Claus for adults. But the threat of punishment keeps them trapped in the belief system even if it hurts them (e.g., religious LGBT people), and it also forces them to infect their children.
FiftyShadesOfTiramisu
Which is why I'm not impressed when someone shows me a religious STEM scientist. Deconversion is a painful process and it often alienates people from their loved ones, so a lot of fairly intelligent people learn to compartmentalize and maintain several conflicting world views. Like Michael Shermer said, "smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons" (usually when they were kids).