Are people who belive in absurd conspiracy theories a bit stupid or just not aware of how the world works?

Question

For example if anyone has worked in a large organisation they will know how utterly impossible it is to get people to do complicated stuff properly, and even if they do manage to do it, you would never be able to get them to keep quiet about it...

Answer 1

Conspiracy theorists are stupid. I am afraid that as blunt as that sounds in this case it is the truth. The level of sophistication for any of these conspiracy theories to be true just doesn't exist in the real world at any level. From the man that sweeps your street to the Prime Minister, no one at any level is capable of any conspiracies. They can't even do the job they hold correctly.

Answer 2

You say that but thats what they want you to think!!

The fact is people do conspire, and the main thing about conspiracy is that the person who is being conspired about is not told what is going on. This happens all the time, it only takes it happening once, for you to always question 'is this how it really is?' because you may strongly believe that your realty or take on things is the only truth or the way things are, but you can't ever really be 100% sure.
For example on my birthday my friends and I had arranged to go for a pub lunch. A friend was picking me and a few others up. So on the way to my friends house, she phones and says that shes was running late so could we come in and wait. I go in and 'SUPRISE!!!' They had arranged a suprise BBQ party for me. Very sweet but it got me thinking. I spend a great deal of time with my friends and had done so especially that weekend due to my birthday and they had arranged this huge thing with banners and party poppers etc... Everyone had made a something to eat. It was only like 8 drunken hours ago that I left these guys!?!?! I have also been the on the other side. Its so easy, once you get the hang of it, you can be quite blaitent and the person that you are concealing something from is still none the wiser.

I get what you mean about corporate conspiracy theories. Firstly why would they bother, why do the big companies care whether joe blogs is going to the shops or not? However I think you are being naive if you think that people cannot be paid to keep a secret. Think of the big cover up scandals that you do know about, there was a time when people were not aware of them. Some of them go on for years until a member of the organisation gets pissed off and blabs. There must be some that go un-noticed.

I realise that I have made myself sound like a paranoid nutter, but I am almost certain that I'm not. I can't be sure though obviously as I don't know everything!!

Answer 3

I'm not sure what you mean by 'absurd' conspiracy theoeries. I'm going to guess you mean like the Government covering up the supposed existence of UFOs, etc..

We can dispell this one easy. If the Government had evidence of UFOs, they'd be taxing them!

I think it mostly stems from a disbelief, or distrust with the Government and media. Sometimes with good reason. Both entities have been caught lying, cheating and misrepresenting facts so often that nothing they say can realistically be accepted at face value anymore, if they ever really were. Some Conspiracy Theories have merit, such as in the case of the John F. Kennedy Assasination, the Bobby Kennedy Assassination, The Martin Luther King Assasination, and the attempted assasination of George Wallace, all within 10 years and all with numerous irregularities.

I personally applaud people who foster Conspiracy Theory beliefs. They help keep everyone honest.

Answer 4

Everyone likes a good story and an absurd conspiricy theory is much more fun than boring old facts.
JFK was shot by LHOz. but that sounds crap so to have all this FBI, CIA Mafia stuf thrown in makes the assasination sound more interesting.
Lady Diana Died in a car crash....... that will only sell a certain about of papers but add a theory of the Royals and government involvement and there is a book waiting to errupt.
I dont think that people are stupid or don't know how the world works, they just find things so much more interesting when it is spiced up a bit.
If you are in a house and there is a cat walking up the stairs, you pay no attention but close your eyes and believe it is a ghost with a terrifying past, and you are more interested in the sound.

We all like a good story now and then :-)

Answer 5

I think everyones definition of absurd would be different.
I would also prefer someone who had a health dose of scepticism.
Common sense and logic, not to mention laws of deduction and averages should however play a big part in someones beliefs.
Also, like trying to convert someone to a religion, using blunt force trauma when discussing conspiracies is not the wisest route.
Some widely held facts are pure fantasy, you only need to look it up, to realise. Yet convincing someone is not always easy. Equally some fantasies are facts, and equally difficult to convince someone of.
In a world dominated by spin and advertising, even in times of emergency; anyone who doesn't believe in at least one conspiracy theory is already a brain dead drone.
Remember, the current conspiracy theory is that America is in Iraq because of oil.

Answer 6

so you believe whatever the government tells you? That's REALLY absurd!
Conspiracy theories often have a lot of merit - they are often from intelligent people who are merely sceptical about the bull they are fed by the media and government, who are looking for other explanations that make more sense than the explanations given by the authorities.

Answer 7

I believe much of this comes from the mindlessness with which young people accept what they see and hear in the media, especially form television and movies. There appears to be serious drift away from any intellectual pursuits that force people to think for themselves, so they just readily adopt what they see. It's a shame, because it's this type of behavior that leads to a decay of skills, abilities, standards, and mores. If it keeps up, the stepping stones of patriotism and freedom will become quagmire of defeatism and the quicksand of faithlessness.

Answer 8

Are people who believe everything at face value a bit stupid or just not aware of how the world works?

Answer 9

Absurd conspiracy theorists see and believe what they want to believe, will always find reasons to justify their beliefs and reject any facts which go against what they think. I do not know if it is stupidity because some conspiracy theories are quite elaborate.

Answer 10

I'd say people who believe in the conspiracy theories (me being one of them) are just aware of how the world (and our Government) works.