[custom_adv] The Earth is wonderfully weird. From tiny puddle-dwelling creatures that can survive in outer space to a paint so dark that your eyes can't actually even see it, Earth is filled with plenty of strange and incredible things - both natural and made by us. [custom_adv] We hear a lot about conspiracy theories, ranging from “birther” arguments to pizza parlor pedophilia rings, to beliefs in alien beings living next door and controlling our minds. Why would people believe such nonsense, particularly when there is no confirming evidence and the majority of people disbelieve? [custom_adv] Social psychology has clearly shown that we have certain ingrained biases in our thought processes that lead our normal, objective thinking astray. These biases serve not only to lead people to believe outlandish things, but they also strengthen those odd views. [custom_adv] Humans have a tendency to want to find a convenient explanation for strange and negative occurrences. When something bad or unusual happens, we seek to make sense of it. For example, if someone experiences several tragic events one after another, a belief may form that the person is “cursed” and/or is being “punished” for some transgression. [custom_adv] With social media, it is very easy to find confirming information for any crazy theory or idea, and simply ignoring the mounds of dis-confirming evidence. If you don’t believe me, try it. Think of an outlandish idea and you will find confirming evidence [custom_adv] There is a human tendency to believe that the world is fair and that things “even out.” So, when we see something extraordinarily good (or bad) happen to someone, we tend to think that something bad (or good) will happen that will balance it out. [custom_adv] Belief in a just world kicks in to help us believe that these people didn’t get there through talent, hard work, or luck, but through some other “alien” process, because, after all, those good things don’t happen to us. [custom_adv] This is the all-too-human, “I told you so” bias. If someone possesses weird beliefs — such as “alien beings are taking over our government,” then when an extraordinary candidate comes to power it makes it easy to verify one’s belief system [custom_adv] Many conspiracy theories and outlandish beliefs involve threats to lives, personal safety, and democratic institutions. Many weird beliefs are an outgrowth of people’s fears about their own safety and mortality. [custom_adv] This is the process by which believers are able to defend against contradictory evidence and arguments that try to debunk their strange theories/beliefs. Underlying these defense mechanisms is rationalization — a means of seemingly making sense out of the nonsensical. [custom_adv] For example, if someone believes in an alien takeover of the planet, and you present them with scientific facts that counter the existence of aliens, the magical defense/rationalization might be “the aliens have planted those stories so that we don’t find out about their sinister plan.” [custom_adv] Likewise, if a believer points out a “demon lizard-alien” and you reply, “that looks like a regular person,” the believer says, “the demon is programming your mind to see a human.” Obvious evidence is discounted as “fake” or just part of a carefully orchestrated coverup.
