Small thread on conspiracy theorists - it's tempting to dismiss such individuals as crackpots, but this misrepresents societal impact of what they do. Conspiracy theory is one of my research interests, so I thought it'd be useful to share some insights.. (1/n) 
.. firstly, what do we mean by conspiratorial beliefs? These refer to narratives that postulate events in a given sphere are due to the machinations of some sinister cabal Stealing from one of my old papers, we might say.. (2/n)
... conspiratorial ideation is the tendancy to see conspiracies everywhere, and attribute events to conspiracy when there's no evidence to do so. Sometimes these people persist even when their assertions are readily debunked. But why? Let's explore! 3/n
..psychological literature suggests some major reasons. Firstly, conspiracy theories are paradoxically reassuring; events in life are largely random, yet a conspiracist sees simple reasons for events. It thus gives them a reassuring illusion of understanding, of meaning (4/n)
...this has some bizarre side-effects however; conspiracy theorists have a high selective tolerance for contradiction. In one study, the conspiratorially minded were able to accept idea Bin Laden was both dead & alive at once, SO LONG as both narratives involved conspiracy (5/n)
..this (probably) isn't to say they believe in some Schrödinger's Bin Laden who is simultaneously alive & dead, but that what chiefly matters to conspiracy theorists is the presence of conspiracy itself. The details & facts are largely irrelevant; they just need conspiracy (6/n)
...Conspiracy theorists also don't tend to have the finest reasoning skills. Anti-vax activists (deeply conspiratorial) have been studied in depth due to damage they do. Studies find they exhibit low cognitive complexity in thinking skills, & reliance on anecdote over data (7/n)
..but you know what the single biggest driver for conspiracy theorists is? Ego. Conspiracy theorists consider themselves superior to the deluded masses. The belief they have superior knowledge is seductive to them, boosting their self-esteem & self worth (8/n)
..it gives them a sense of superiority without actually having to do anything. So what if you're a well-regarded PhD in immunology? Conspiracy theorists still insist they know more about vaccines. A professor of climatology? They "know" global warming a hoax... (9/n)
... they'll talk with certainty too, over things that are inherently uncertain. Being a conspiracy theorist makes you feel special, even when you're pig-ignorant. It is choosing a parody of understanding over actually putting the spadework in to understand. It's pathetic (10/n)
...it is in this light you have to see conspiratorial musings. When a woefully unqualified ex-presidential candidate spreads falsehoods over the #HPVvaccine , this is simply because they're feeding their own ego at the cost of public health. They deserve contempt for this (11/n)
... please, realise these people are supremely arrogant, not just ignorant. That they are willing to risk people's lives to feed their own sense of superiority should render them beyond contempt, not worthy of the attention they crave. Please don't let them sway you (12/12).
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