Conspiracy theorists - mental illness or stupidity?

[Notcontent]

I know people who believe if really crazy conspiracies have always been around, but this pandemic has really brought them out of the woodwork... I mean, how could you realistically believe that Covid-19 does not exist, or that the vaccines contain microchips??

Some people who believe those things might have a low IQ and/ or poor education and so lack any “critical thinking” skills - and so might not be able to see why this is really illogical. But what about people who are clearly reasonably intelligent and well educated - like Jeremy Corbyn’s brother. Is it almost like a mental illness? Do they become so obsessed with being anti-establishment that they lose the plot?

@SpringIsComingAlways

Possible reasons: Thick. Lack thinking skills. Think they are going against the mass by having different views (use of the word sheeple ) Too much pot Easily conned....woman across road kept going on about dead foetuses in the vaccine, she heard about in on YouTube Scared Low IQ Stuck in the teen go against everything stage

Really funny how you use the line Lack thinking skills

Pot kettle much

@Worldgonecrazy

The problem is that anyone who questions the government’s narrative or who believes that the toll of lockdown is horrendous without actually saving a huge number of lives, is instantly labelled a Q Anon or flat earth we. The scientists who disagree with the government, those Professors of Evvidence Based medicine and ex Chief scientific Officers of Pfizer, yep they must definitely be discredited conspiracy theorists.

Of course this method works rll in the dumbed down population that we have. Anyone over 40 will recall the wealth of science TV we used to have Tomorrow’s World, Horizon etc. And now we have dumbed down TV for the masses in an effort to get ratings. We have media full of click bait.

The level of social control exerted over us is immense. Anyone who thinks otherwise is the uneducated person. Not those who know that we are all experiencing massive amounts of social control and nudge theory every single day.

From the start, I have used ONS published figures and stayed away from Mainstream news. The disparity between the media messages of doom and what was being told by the figures was obvious by late April last year.

If science was less advanced this year would just have been regarded as a very bad flu year. As it is, we have the science to see the difference in viruses.

None of that makes me a covid denier (the naming as a denier is an interesting nudge in itself). I’d say I’m more of a Pandemic response sceptic.

All the extra deaths just a bad flu year....all over the 🌎..... oh my

Come on then @mouldyhouse101..... what are your reasons for the conspiracy theorists.....?

Eckhart
The thing I struggle with regarding conspiracy theorisrs is that it's always presented as 'anyone who thinks differently' is excluded, as if there's a big accepted view that all the sheeple believe, and then there's the enlightened people who know the truth/are free thinkers.

The reality is there is a lot of robust discussion about issues and a huge range of positions, but that is inconvenient for those who are desperate to feel like they are some kind of marginalised group of truth holders.

I think the stage of capitalist development we're in (high levels of inequality, people feeling that they don't have control over their lives, the economy, technology, what's happening to the planet etc) leads to high levels of mistrust in government

Yeah because communism is so much better for people having control over their lives.

Rejecting potentially life saving measures because someone is ill informed and believes whatever conspiracy theory is rampant on FB has nothing to do with capitalism, it's to do with lack of critical thinking.

@ScrumpyBetty

I live in a town where there are a lot of 'hippies' and alternative thinkers, covid denial is very real here and a large proportion of people don't comply with lockdown or mask wearing. I think the narrative that many people here have is that Covid is just the flu, and if they strengthen their immune system with wheatgrass and meditation then there is no way they can catch the virus. Many of them also believe in wider conspiracies, government cover ups etc. So I think in many of these people it is a lack of understanding about how viruses work and the concept of immunity, I also think that 'questioning the narrative' is popular and acceptable here and makes these people feel as if they belong to a community and they get a lot of validation from each other for their beliefs.

Great point...on social media if anyone makes a valid point about covid, covid deniers pile on like a community pack ...but it's just the flu....control...blah de blah, they appear to spur each other on with their beliefs

It's neither illness nor stupidity - it's simply that the mind control rays being beamed from the hollow moon cannot penetrate their tin foil hats so their blue pills don't work any more.

Lola
Well, no, that's a bit like saying toupees are always obvious, when it's actually because you don't notice the ones that aren't. There are lots of people who look at the evidence, agree that the 'conspiracy theory' actually seems well founded, and can still converse sensibly about it.

Bear in mind that this thread is posted by a non-conspiracy theorist, who feels that anybody who thinks differently is either thick or ill. Everybody thinks they are right, otherwise they wouldn't have the opinions they have.

I think I agree with the poster who said their aunt was looking for an external reason for why she felt so angry and unhappy. There's a huge overlap between people who choose and relish challenging beliefs, and enjoy the confrontation, and people who enjoy being difficult and causing problems in other ways and using passive aggression as a prop to get rid of their own grief. I don't think it has much to do with mental illness as pp have interpreted the term, but I do think it is very much to do with the personality you have chosen to build and develop for yourself over the years.

Agree the thread title is offensive. Having a mental illness doesn't make someone a conspiracy theorist, and being a conspiracy theorist doesn't mean someone has a mental illness. However, some mental illness or brain dysfunction can be a risk factor in being drawn in to conspiracy theories. Delusion is a symptom of psychosis. I know three conspiracy theories well. One believes in conspiracy theories (and promotes them) when she is suffering from psychosis, but not during well periods. Another started believing them after unfortunately suffering brain damage. The third has no signs of brain problems. I think there are many other risk factors for being drawn in to conspiracy theories, many listed in the thread, including boredom! People find something interesting on the internet and become drawn in to a story that may seem interesting and exciting because it is hidden and not mainstream. The internet has of course spread conspiracy theories much more effectively than traditional methods of communication.

@Worldgonecrazy

The problem is that anyone who questions the government’s narrative or who believes that the toll of lockdown is horrendous without actually saving a huge number of lives, is instantly labelled a Q Anon or flat earth we. The scientists who disagree with the government, those Professors of Evvidence Based medicine and ex Chief scientific Officers of Pfizer, yep they must definitely be discredited conspiracy theorists.

Of course this method works rll in the dumbed down population that we have. Anyone over 40 will recall the wealth of science TV we used to have Tomorrow’s World, Horizon etc. And now we have dumbed down TV for the masses in an effort to get ratings. We have media full of click bait.

The level of social control exerted over us is immense. Anyone who thinks otherwise is the uneducated person. Not those who know that we are all experiencing massive amounts of social control and nudge theory every single day.

From the start, I have used ONS published figures and stayed away from Mainstream news. The disparity between the media messages of doom and what was being told by the figures was obvious by late April last year.

If science was less advanced this year would just have been regarded as a very bad flu year. As it is, we have the science to see the difference in viruses.

None of that makes me a covid denier (the naming as a denier is an interesting nudge in itself). I’d say I’m more of a Pandemic response sceptic.

Well said. When you keep detached, the social control (manipulation) is very visible. The headlines (I only look at the headlines) last summer were crazy - from covid, to BLM, to climate change, to Covid, to BLM to climate change... and all positioned as 'extreme' problems.

@AquaFairySoul, sorry but I would suggest believing completely fantasy things such as the ‘Holocaust didn't happen’ the ‘earth is flat’, ‘tv and the music industry is a conspiracy that beams mind control into your brain’ etc, along with family history of severe mental illness is indicative of some type of paranoia (at the very least) that if coupled with harmful or destructive behaviours absolutely would be diagnosed as a mental illness. As it stands I believe there are lots of people who slip through the net because they manage to live perfectly happily and don’t have any seemingly damaging effect on themselves/society. I’d class not having any grip on reality as a mental illness, sorry if that’s offensive.

Funny how MN haven't yet removed this thread...

Quite shocking.

It's an absolutely disgusting thread.

@mouldyhouse101

Funny how MN haven't yet removed this thread...

Quite shocking.

It's an absolutely disgusting thread.

Surely its better to discuss things than just shut them down how can people learn and grow if their thoughts and feeling about things however right or wrong is just shut down

As an atheist I would never ask are people who believe in God mad, bad or stupid. I think that shows a lack of empathy.

@Duggeehugs82

Those who feel that mental health is a matter to joke about, and who happily offend others, are in no mood to broaden their thoughts

[quote mouldyhouse101]@Duggeehugs82

Those who feel that mental health is a matter to joke about, and who happily offend others, are in no mood to broaden their thoughts [/quote]
But i dont believe it has been a matter that has been joked about , i think its a genuine question however i dont think the answer is yes

Well said @Worldgonecrazy . I am genuinely shocked by how many people are shocked by the social dilemma on Netflix. That showed me that people are so unaware of how they are manipulated on a daily basis. You have to actively seek out broader news that you find rather than it pushed to you to bring balance to the picture

This thread title is pretty offensive but it supports the narrative being pushed to us so that’s why it’s left up. If this was the other way round I suspect would have been taken down on page 1

@Duggeehugs82

If you don't believe this thread has joked about mental health or that it seriously minimises it then you're part of the issue

[quote Dinocan]@AquaFairySoul, sorry but I would suggest believing completely fantasy things such as the ‘Holocaust didn't happen’ the ‘earth is flat’, ‘tv and the music industry is a conspiracy that beams mind control into your brain’ etc, along with family history of severe mental illness is indicative of some type of paranoia (at the very least) that if coupled with harmful or destructive behaviours absolutely would be diagnosed as a mental illness. As it stands I believe there are lots of people who slip through the net because they manage to live perfectly happily and don’t have any seemingly damaging effect on themselves/society. I’d class not having any grip on reality as a mental illness, sorry if that’s offensive.[/quote]
Im not engaging with this

[quote Dinocan]@AquaFairySoul, sorry but I would suggest believing completely fantasy things such as the ‘Holocaust didn't happen’ the ‘earth is flat’, ‘tv and the music industry is a conspiracy that beams mind control into your brain’ etc, along with family history of severe mental illness is indicative of some type of paranoia (at the very least) that if coupled with harmful or destructive behaviours absolutely would be diagnosed as a mental illness. As it stands I believe there are lots of people who slip through the net because they manage to live perfectly happily and don’t have any seemingly damaging effect on themselves/society. I’d class not having any grip on reality as a mental illness, sorry if that’s offensive.[/quote]
But you're not sorry. Not a single part of you is sorry.

It depends on conspiracy theory actually as you cannot deny that there are conspiracies in the world.
However, my opinion is David Icke is mentally ill.

I have just come back to this thread and I am genuinely sorry if anyone found it offensive. I have personal experience of mental health issues and I wasn’t on any way suggesting that mental illness is equivalent to not being intelligent or that everyone who suffers from mental illness believes in conspiracy theories!!

I also wasn’t trying to suggest that government coverups of things, etc don’t exist.

@Notcontent

I have just come back to this thread and I am genuinely sorry if anyone found it offensive. I have personal experience of mental health issues and I wasn’t on any way suggesting that mental illness is equivalent to not being intelligent or that everyone who suffers from mental illness believes in conspiracy theories!!

I also wasn’t trying to suggest that government coverups of things, etc don’t exist.

Well you've essentially stated that those who believe in conspiracy theories are either mentally ill of stupid.

Quite a sad little statement actually

No, what I should have said is it don’t understand why that’s offensive. I’ve not said that believing conspiracies means you are mentally ill. I’m saying it can be indicative of paranoia and losing a grip on reality. I fully believe this to be the case with my relative given their family history. They are currently the only living member of that side of the family who hasn’t an official diagnosis of a severe mental health condition. To suggest that I don’t understand the seriousness of mental health conditions is ridiculous. I’ve lost 3 immediate relatives to suicide.