People who are into conspiracy theories

[Wasneverintomickeyandminnie]

Are they mentally ill?

I read once that they’re more likely to be

I love a good conspiracy theory and uncovering the truth about things.

Currently quite obsessed with the whole Epstein thing, find the McCanns situation very odd, covid was strange etc

Are you into them too, am I mentally ill 🙈😬😅

As far as I was aware, the lab leak explanation was never a conspiracy theory, it was widely speculated to be a possible cause of the outbreak, along with the Wuhan wet market theory, from the beginning when the WHO were trying to figure out the source.

I always thought the conspiracy theorists made out it was called a conspiracy theory to prove their points with a bit of ‘whataboutery’. ‘What about when they said the lab leak was fake?’ Well, no one did? Unless the CT’s were trying to claim it was a deliberate act of chemical warfare, then they did.

Yeah, everyone’s wise after the event. No one is willing to own up to calling people conspiracy theorists who were making perfectly valid points at the time. An now ‘oh these are not conspiracy theories’. The ‘progressives’, sorry brainless gullible idiots, certainly called these conspiracy theories

I find people who are absolutely set on their views and unable to hear or comprehend an alternative viewpoint are the problem. It doesn’t matter if it’s about flat earth, Covid, gender issues or generally conservative views. If all people had the same brain there would be no progress, no exploration, no art or breakthroughs. Sometimes you need to question what’s considered ‘normal’.

I agree. It’s probably been branded a conspiracy theory by conspiracy theorists for their own ends.

The last (I believe it was the last) smallpox death in Britain was from a lab leak. There’s nothing conspiratorial about system failure.

Interestingly, people who believe in CT have been found to have a higher IQ. Something to do with needing excellent reasoning skills to convince themselves that something is true.

Where’s your source for this? The studies I’ve read on this subject have suggested quite the opposite, and so has my own anecdotal experience to be quite honest.

The psychology of conspiracy theories is fascinating. I think it's unlikely the Queen was a lizard, because she probably had lizard skin handbags, so that would be weird.

Seriously though, with the advent of technology and media and the ability to fake things, we are in dangerous territory - the whole AI induced psychosis in people using various types of AI therapist is a real thing, worthy of urgent examination, and coupled with the relentless drive to pursue wealth at all costs and by any means, especially via manipulating people means it's incredibly difficult to be 100% sure of many things these days.

Someone upthread mentioned the WEF in the context of conspiracy theory. While I don't believe they're hoofing adrenochrome at their meetings, it is a fact that state leaders, politicians and corporate leaders do "conspire" to exert influence on how the world is shaped moving forward. It is their stated goal to have representatives in every world government. Which woyld all be fine, if some of these influential and obscenely wealthy people stuck to genuine problem solving for the benefit of humanity. However, some of them embrace dubious ideologies, such as pronatalism, which is effectively neo-eugenics. I don't think keeping a weather eye on their shenanigans is a bad thing. And in terms of conspiracy theory, Klaus Schwabb rocking up in an outfit reminiscent of Emperor Ming was like catnip to those with extreme views.

Strange and interesting times we live in.

Was that study carried out by David Icke?

It’s interesting that excellent reasoning skills are mentioned when CTs have very poor reasoning skills by the very virtue of the fact they believe in them. Irony is lost on them. Doesn’t ’needing excellent reasoning skills to convince themselves something is true’ prove itself here? In that they can’t have good reasoning if they reject the truth and sound logic and they have a preference for bullshit?

A lot of times the insult ‘conspiracy theorist’ or ‘tin foil hat wearer’ gets thrown at anyone who questions what’s going on.
It’s sensible to question things. The lockdowns - did fining people sat on a bench outside really help? (especially with the government having affairs and parties) and there’s been huge cover ups recently - Jimmy Saville and everyone that knew and did fuck all about it.

@SilenceOfTheTimTams The 2020 election fraud hoax included claims that there was a conspiracy between any and all combinations of:

• The manufacturers of the voting machines
• The Democrat party/Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton
• The US Embassy in Rome
• Local election officials
• China
• The Jews "Globalists"
• The "Deep State"/"Swamp"
• ...and many others

It was a classic conspiracy theory. What marked it out was how dangerous and influential it was. Some dimwit claiming that the moon landings were faked affects nothing. The 2020 election hoax affected the views of millions.

Fuck me! Imagine being deprived of the goddess liquid that is Calpol.

Disclaimer:: This sounds sarcastic but it is very much not. I have to stop myself drinking it on the daily.

It’s often the ones who worry about 15-minute cities who are weirdly nostalgic for yesteryear where services were available locally and could be accessed on foot or by bike.

That it might have been an accidental lab leak was always a possibility. As I understand it there's a lot of genetic evidence to suggest that a lab origin is much less likely than a natural one but it's a possibility nonetheless. I'm not a viral geneticist so I'm not qualified to competently appraise the evidence.

The conspiracy theories were more along the lines that it was a deliberate lab leak perpetrated by China at the behest of Anthony Fauci because he had a patent for the coronavirus. Or that it was deliberately leaked by China at the behest of George Soros as part of some globalist plot to depopulate the earth (cf the Georgia Guidestones, out-of-context statements by Bill Gates etc). Or deliberately leaked to institute continual lockdowns as a precursor to the rise of the New World Order where everyone will be confined to concentration camps and so on.

One of my friends is into conspiracy theories. I find her / it fascinating. She believes in every one if them which seems common. Ie a belief that authorities are lying to us. About everything.

She seems very smart generally and has been known to work through a few conspiracy theories and eventually decides they wasn't true.

It's her main source of conversation actually and she gets very animated. I think she has ADHD because she is very into them and very animated. Quite obsessed. Telling her I had a Biology degree during Covid and all the conspiracy theories around that, actually took about ten attempts before she finally said " what? You have a Biology degree?" So she isn't having a conversation. It's a conversion lecture. She's not looking for a debate, just someone to monologue too. She's the only person I personally know who is into conspiracy theories so I can't comment generally but I'd live to say "have you ever looked into ADHD because you brilliantly can hold 50 concurrent thoughts very elliquently in one 25 minute conversation and it's quite impressive" but I can't get a word in. I really like her. She is a great person. Unfortunately I don't agree with much of her logic on all topics.

Totally! One of my siblings wants to live in some pre industrial revolution Eden. Like the Shire from Lord of the Rings perhaps. This 15 minute city thing is his latest worry and I'm not sure how it fits in? He's only ever flown once and hates driving - hasn't driven in 20 years. Inner London is basically a 15 minute city imo. I rarely left my own borough when I lived there and bussed or walked to shops.

Another odd thing is the ' job lot' effect. I know a woman who started worrying about fluoride a few years ago. Last time I met her she'd got the full collection. Like an accretion of barnacles ; you won't shift em easily. My own pet theory is that there's something very comforting about conspiracies. It's nice to think someone knows wtf is actually going on , even if it is some cartoon villain living in a hollowed out volcano. Whereas.....

I had a couple if serious debates with two people who were convinced about 15 minute cities. They were convinced we were going to be confined to a small area to live in. They wouldn’t have it that it wasn’t going happen, and I think the initial idea was that all facilities (essential shops, doctors, schools etc should be close by). Ironically, one arguments at work, and it takes me just over 15 minutes to get there!

you are conflating conspiracy theories with systemic abuse, cover-ups, speculation,
cock ups

or conflicting hypotheses.

Just because there are rumours going round about individuals doesn’t mean that there’s a conspiracy to cover it up. Lots of tabloid papers knew about Jimmy Saville. They love a chance to criticise the BBC. The reason they didn’t publish was because Saville was rich and litigious, and newspaper editors are savvy enough to know that women’s accusations aren’t taken as seriously as they should be by judges and court system.

It was a coordinated effort.

It’s possible they have relatively high IQs.

but that doesn’t mean they are better at reasoning. I think as a pre requisite, you probably need to be someone who takes an interest in the world and events.

people with lower IQs will just shrug their shoulders and go down the pub for a pint and packet of crisps. Or watch some crap telly.

conspiracy theorists will also have high anxiety and a need for order, Control and defined answers

Joke: A conspiracy theorist dies and ascends to heaven. God is there to greet him and explains that as part of the celestial welcome, he will answer any question the man has.

“Please, I must know the answer to this one,” the man says, “who killed John F. Kennedy?”

God answers instantly, “That’s easy: Lee Harvey Oswald.”

Shocked, the man murmurs, “This goes higher than I had thought!”

It’s worth remembering that there are some people making a lot of money out of conspiracy theories. I do think there is a link between mental health and a lot of conspiracy theory, so those making money are preying on people’s vulnerabilities. It’s pointless arguing with people who believe it, though.

Some theories I believe:

1. I am quietly confident that Epstein is still alive.
2. Trump is 100% dodgy. Whilst I don't follow politics at all, he is one dodgy man that I wouldn't trust. He has an air about him that oozes "I do what I want, when I want" and no one can prove any of the bad stuff because he has power over people.

1. Everything in the media is all controlled by the government, or some such higher people. Everything from what is featured on Google, to whatever is in the news, is all controlled. And anything "outing" anyone in power is removed.

1. Everything is engineered to make people spend money. The things needed the most, is the most expensive.

@Rainbows41 we just discussed at home your last post that system is very much design to keep part of population on certain low level. Whether that's on putpose or not we are not sure though

I think you're only mentally ill if conspiracy theories become an all-consuming obsession and you think about or talk about very little else.

' So they got to you too , Big G?'