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The Problem with Conspiracy Theories
And why people believe them anyway
One of my English professors was fascinated by conspiracy theories — purely in an academic sense. She had us read The Da Vinci Code to analyze why a story about a “symbologist” uncovering a massive Catholic conspiracy was a number-one global bestseller.
She wasn’t the first to turn an academic eye to the novel: a 2011 study found that those who believed the Da Vinci Code conspiracy to be real found it helpful in coping with stress. Indeed, multiple studies have shown that conspiracy theories appeal to people who tend to be more fearful, which explains why they have been rampant during these troubled times.
However, these academic discussions of conspiracy theories and their psychology belie their dangers. We have already seen how the Pizzagate conspiracy led to a mass shooting, and more recently, the Plandemic “documentary” contributed to a wave of misinformation about COVID-19. Conspiracy theories aren’t just fun ideas about whether or not Jesus was married; they’re a fundamental way of thinking that accompanies a distrust of science and an arrogant self-interest.
A Rejection of Authority
Many conspiracy theorists proudly express that they are not “sheep.” They say they “think for themselves,” by which…
