A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an important event that accuses a secret group of plotting and avoiding evidence. People who believe in these theories often believe that a small hidden group is responsible for the upbringing of a bad event. They believe these groups can effectively conceal their actions. According to The National Library of Medicine, the belief in theories can stem from a need to understand things, a desire to feel in control and safe, or a social motive to protect one’s self-image by blaming a secret group.
While it’s natural to be skeptical about what is around you and want to uncover the truth, committing oneself to conspiracy theories can be harmful. People who are invested in these theories sometimes distance themselves from the world and group together with those who believe them. They live in fear and distrust and can even contribute to an inflated sense of pride by believing you are “in” on a secret no one knows.
Conspiracy theories are deeply rooted in the idea that everyone is “in” on the secret, and evidence that goes against the theory is just part of the plan and cover-up. This makes disproving theories nearly impossible. They actively reject official and scientific evidence. They rely on small inconsistencies, gut feelings, vague experiences, rather than actual, reliable evidence.
The use of social media makes this a bigger issue. Social media is an unreliable source and those who are playing around with ideas of conspiracy theories can find communities that believe in them. False information is spread quickly on social platforms. It’s important to separate fact from truth, and if you’re looking into a conspiracy theory, to do factual research outside of the platform.
Conspiracy theories live everywhere; some can actually turn out to be true, but conspiracy theories differ from a conspiracy. A conspiracy is a documented illegal act by a group. Real conspiracies have been confirmed before, such as the Watergate Scandal. So, how do you know if the theory is too far-fetched and probably false? H. Colleen Sinclair gives us many red flags to look out for when trying to identify conspiracies.
Typical conspiracy theorists believe that factual evidence is proof of a cover-up. Real companies will be able to use factual evidence to make their point. Unfounded conspiracy dismisses traditional sources of evidence.
Attacking inconsistencies, missing evidence, and bias as “proof” of lies is another red flag that the theory presented is likely false and not well supported. Some facts simply aren’t known, and pieces are missing.
It’s common that those who believe in the far-fetched concepts feel their knowledge is “too hard to grasp” for typical beings. Real possible conspiracies will be easy to read.
There’s various conspiracy theories that have been proven false, yet people still believe them anyway. The 9/11 Theory that it was an inside job. The Council of Foreign Relations states this event has been researched by non-government experts, and there’s little evidence supporting the claims of an inside job. People still believe this anyway and it causes contention. When people go too deep in a rabbit hole of compacts they become ununified from the population. Some conspiracy theories can be harmless, but others undermine people and erode trust leading to incompetence.
Conspiracy theories that claim large groups are part of the plot are typically false. The more people who are in on a secret, the harder it is to hide. Most conspiracies that turn out to be true are from small organizations.
Look for a motive when observing conspiracies. Some conspiracies don’t make any sense. Why make clones of people if you can just hire new ones? If there isn’t a clear motive for a conspiracy, it’s probably delusional.
Lastly, look at the source of the allegation. Why are people talking about this conspiracy theory? Did it stem from a social media page that will get lots of likes and views from laughing at something crazy? Is this group making people pay to get out of the “government’s secret plans?” These are all probably scams for your money, exploiting susceptible people.
Be wary of rational claims on social media and in life. Choose who you trust, and don’t get involved in rumors that can harm your friendships and trust.
