Why do conspiracy theorists go on at length about it all the time?

[AquamarineBalloon]

I’ve just been on a taxi journey during which the driver went on and on about his conspiracy theories for the whole journey, doing his own research, etc. I just acknowledged he was speaking but didn’t offer any response or engagement but the lecture continued for the whole trip (which was thankfully relatively short).

I hold opinions about various things but unless I’m specifically asked what I think, or having a conversation on that topic, I don’t feel the need to go on at length about them to other people.

He’s entitled to his view (however baseless and ridiculous) but why the lecture?

AIBU?

Never any rationale as to why the government wanted us all to develop alzheimers though

So, with is the motive for “them” pretending the Earth is round? I’m really unclear on why “they” want us to believe it’s a sphere if it’s actually flat.

One possibility is so people do not think we are on a earth halo ring ?

It’s so, so annoying and upsetting.

My dad has become like this in recent years. Some of the conspiracies are plainly racist, others are just loopy. If we could ‘agree to disagree’ that would be great but it’s all he’ll talk about. He won’t recognize basic social cues to change the topic, or even direct requests (he just gets angry).

My parents can’t meet friends any more because he ruins every social event he is at.

As a Conspiracy theorist...I find this fascinating😊

Apparently Finland does not exist

This is what I'm dying to know. What's the imagined endgame? They're trying to trick us into thinking the world is a globe... why?! What does this deception gain anyone?

I feel like a clear endgame and purpose is what's missing from a lot of these theories but flat earth is definitely one of the most glaring for me. I'm sure the die hard, core crowd will have that mapped out but none of the unhinged, recent converts who are flooding the internet can articulate it.

I mean, these are the common ones we're all being assaulted with by the general rank and file theorists which is what the thread is about.

Care to point us in the direction of some darker, deeper material? I'm always interested to hear what else is out there.

And I swear to god, don't say "do your research" 🤣.

Exactly my thoughts! What possible motive could there be to lie that the earth is round? Bonkers.

60th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination coming up this month so conspiracy theorists will have a field day! Personally I've never forgiven ITV for taking Emergency Ward 10 off because of it, I'd almost run back from the library to get home for 7.30!

I would always try to help when possible, to those who dismiss the idea of a one world government then i offer the Bilderberg Group.

I think that is pretty murky though. The 1979 House Select Committee found that there was probably two gunmen and Kennedy "was probably assassinated as the result of a conspiracy". His autopsy was "botched". The most striking part (to me) was Oswald's murder by Jack Ruby, a criminal with probable links to the Mafia and an FBI informant with terminal cancer who mysteriously was able to enter the Dallas police headquarters, went straight to the basement unchallenged at exactly the right moment when Oswald was being moved and shot him. I have no theories of my own, but all this really happened (it's not made up or exaggerated) and seems very strange.

Doesn't mean all conspiracy theories are right though! A stopped clock is right twice a day as they say.

But they’re not a government and the attendees are all from North American and European countries (and even then, only the ‘bigger’ countries).

Even if every European and North American country were involved, those two continents together account for around 15% of the world’s population.

In what way is it a one world government?

The more people they convince to believe them, the more sure of their beliefs they become. It’s a form of reinforcement.

I always thought this! Why would anyone lie about the earth being round? But conspiracy theories are peddled for all sorts of reasons, mostly by poorly educated people who maybe didn’t do very well academically. Flat earthers so believe it as a way to feel intelligent and fill a void. That’s it really. They like to think they know more than more educated people, precisely because they don’t 😂

It’s always the “do your own research” that gets me. I’d hazard a guess their “research” was done via facebook and Q-anon.
There’s a woman who runs the office building I’m in and I got so fed up of ending up in her tirades of bullshit theories that I eventually told her she’d need to just stop talking to me if we can’t have a normal conversation. We rarely say more than hello now.

Before they shut rhe Q-Anon site, I decided to have a look. .

My favourite conspiracy theory I read was, the Covid Vaccine had a secret ingrediant to make all white men infertile.
Just white men, not women or non-white men.
Apparently "they" didn't want anymore white men to be born in the future.

These men were panicking, some of them had to get the Vaccine to keep their jobs.
Sperm banks seemed the obvious thing to do, but apparently its too expensive.

The solution they came up with was to keep a supply of sperm in the freezer, just in case.

If you find suspicious tupperware, hidden behind the ice lollies, now you know what it is 😁

I think for many who believe these theories, it's almost like a religious conversion experience, especially if they have been immersing themselves in it . No point arguing against them , they truly believe and their brain chemistry is altered in some way...well that's my theory 😊

I think it's a continuation of the old "earth at the centre of the Universe idea". A flat earth is usually said to be at the centre of a small universe with a local sun - I.e. humanity is very important. A spherical earth is just a tiny part of a vast universe....

Did anyone see that fantastic documentary on Flat Earthers, where they set up experiments to prove the Earth is flat, but accidentally proved it to be round?

I can't remember the name of it and can't seem to find it online, but recall they ran two experiments - one with beams of light over distance and one with a very expensive gyroscope.

I'm sure this is right....the language shows the conspiracy mindset! You don't do experiments to "prove the earth is flat", you do experiments to "test the hypothesis that the earth is flat". The experiments provided evidence that was inconsistent with the flat earth hypothesis but consistent with the idea that the earth is spherical.

It sounds a very long winded way to say the same thing, but this is how scientists' minds work. It is the exact opposite of conspiracy theorists and (unfortunately) most politicians!

That document was brilliant....'Behind the Curve' I think it was...on Netflix but not sure if it's still on there

All part of the peril of a taxi journey 😂 you're basically a captive audience! Just have to 'mmm yeah' your way through the ride and dreaming of home....🙉 😫

It's impossible to argue with these people

The Covid conspiracies drive me nuts - people with no concept of statistics, chemistry, biochemistry, germ theory, virology, epidemiology, all hating Bill Gates for funding research, blaming Big Pharma for hiding the cure, the 'real cures' touted by Trump et al.

It was soul destroying.

CTs have no idea how anything works, including search engine and social media algorithms, which provides more of the same of what they've viewed before

It's pointless arguing with them too

You 'do your research', argue cogently and with evidence and they simply go

"You're wrong. That's not right"

I just dump a stolen screenshot and run

My parents in law have fall down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. The latest one is King Charles is the Antichrist and will cause the fall of Israel, or something. It’s all something to do with IMF and vaccines to control you, and Biden is puppet in it, but Trump is the only one who knows and speaks the truth. And Farage of course. They are deeply religious.