8 Things You Should Know About Conspiracy Theorists.
There is a war on for your mind. Don’t think. Don’t speak and whatever you do - don’t share an opinion that doesn’t mirror what at least, but not limited to, 83.5% of the population believe is truth.
The adjectives are plenty for anyone that wades into the conspiracy pool; idiot, moron, paranoid, delusional and…the list goes on. There are also medical journals out there that claim anyone questioning the norm to simply have a lack of control in their own lives and this is a way to regain some of that control.
Science. Funded institutions devoting their resources to truth. I’m not exactly sure where the money came from to fund a study on people that believe in conspiracies but, the current mainstream studies are damming. All the more reason for anyone with an idea that flies in the face of convention to keep their mouth shut.
The same journal of science that suggests conspiracy theorists are a desperate bunch also mention there are more of us out there than one might believe.
No need for conjecture here. As a conspiracy theorist, advocate and fan of the genre- my personal experience with beliefs and sharing those beliefs is telling. Ridicule is generally the first thing that comes to mind, followed by vitriol then shaming and for those who really want to put an exclamation point on their feelings about your “opinion” — the dreaded “Unfriend”.
Yes, fear is an ever constant flow in a conspiracy theorists daily ebb. And, I thought perhaps it was time to set the record straight on some of the misconceptions about people who believe in alternate ideas.
So, without further delay; my list which is in no particular order.
- Conspiracy Theorists are dumb.
I hate to break it to you but most conspiracy theorists are on the opposite side of that spectrum. Many are highly intelligent, educated and have an exceptional ability for critical thinking. That’s why theorists have a tendency to draw different conclusions and in turn, attempt to find more information while instigating conversation, in the quest for truth.
2. Conspiracy Theorists are paranoid.
There may be some truth to this. Functioning on a slightly different plane than the general population — a theorist delves into a lot of fact checking which opens up a myriad of answers that require even more questions. The paranoia comes from a darkness that bubbles on the surface about who we are as a species and what drives us to do the things we do. A true conspiracy theorist sees the need for reality television and our obsession with celebrity because many simply can’t or don’t want to see the ugliness of the world.
3. Conspiracy Theorists are anti-everything
Probably the biggest misconception about our particular group. Put forth by the mainstream and seen frequently in discussions on chat boards, the Twitterverse, facebook and anywhere else that people converge to share content. An idea so pervasive that even theorists sometimes wonder if we take it too far… No, most of us have that ability for critical thought. Remember?
If you believe in chemtrails, then you must believe in aliens, which means you believe in reptilians, are anti-climate, a flat Earther and most definitely are one of those anti-vaxxers. Chances are you’re also a racist, white, bi-polar, anti-government and you sleep with a gun under your pillow.
The idea is ridiculous and, most times we theorists won’t even bother with addressing them. If you pay attention, most stay on point and rarely contaminate a conversation with other theories.
While it’s true that we probably share some of the ideas noted above, we’re not inclusive and almost all of the ideas we cling to are based on a quest for truth and, we truly enjoy both the banter and the journey that comes from that quest.
4. Conspiracy Theorists are arrogant
I get this one. If you look at the struggle of a theorist, we have to argue from a compromised position. We know that most of the time, perhaps even all of the time — we are in a small minority. This means we have to be more eloquent in our assertions and be especially confident. We can’t resort to crassness or insults because these simply aren’t conducive to conversation or debate.
The perception of arrogance comes from the steadfast nature with which we reply and share information. If we’re on the other side of the conversation, we arrived there for a reason. We know it’s an impossible battle. We deal with a wide variety of insults and innuendo while those that attack rely on an arsenal of readily available information and support, not to sway us but to shame us into submission.
It’s rarely civil and in many cases, this is what causes a healthy number of theorists to opt out and lurk in the shadows.
5. Conspiracy Theorists are relentless
Absolutely. And why not? Once you’ve publicly outed yourself as a fringe thinker, there’s no point in turning back. If we’ve spent countless hours (not hitting page one on google by the way) researching a subject and waded through thousands of pages of technical data — we would be foolhardy not to be relentless. There’s a subtle truth that runs through almost all theorists and that is — we have almost zero chance of changing anyone’s mind.
Our relentless nature is limited to sharing with those who are already on our side, those who need to know that they aren’t alone. On occasion (speaking from personal experience) we can bring someone over to the dark side but it’s rare and unexpected. That’s why, and if you pay really close attention to threads that we show up in, the discourse is generally (not always) civil and precise. We try not to give into trolls and questionable behaviour.
6. Conspiracy Theorists jump to conclusions
If you knew and understood how hard it is to come forward with an idea, especially one that is opposite of the accepted truth, then you would know that very few of us could be accused of jumping to conclusions. Truth be known, for those of us who are true theorists, we rarely come forward unless there is significant data to support our claims. We already know that ridicule is a post away so the less collateral damage, the better.
7. Anyone with an idea opposite of the norm is a Conspiracy Theorist
There are crazy people out there. On all sides of every conversation. We’re not unique this way and people hijack our group to push an agenda that not only hurts us (Conspiracy Theorists) but ultimately opens up the floodgates for the haters and the trolls that feast on this kind of stuff.
It’s one thing to put forth an idea that is shared with a community of people, where fact checking was done, where data is available - to coming out and stating that reptiles are walking around and look just like you and I or, suggesting in the face of science that this planet we inhabit is flat.
A true Conspiracy Theorist works with facts and data to draw conclusions. That would probably explain why so many of us our Atheists.
8. Conspiracy Theorists hate authority
If you really want to know if you’re dealing with a theorist or someone masquerading as one — ask them how they feel about authority. True Theorists believe in law and order, government and rules. Ironically, it’s this respect for authority and order that drives us to dig for answers.
Yes, we frequently target government and big business but not because we seek anarchy or chaos — quite the opposite. We’re idealists and seek the truth in order that this world may be just and fair.
Please note that this is a general overview of the modern Conspiracy Theorist, written by a modern Conspiracy Theorist. No doubt there are more points that could be used to describe who we are and what we do but these are the important talking points for my friends and I that walk this different path.
If you feel I’ve missed any good talking points, please send me a message clearly outlining it and I’ll add it to the list.
