Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
Covid-19 was created by 5g. The first man on the moon was all staged. Somebody else was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. These are some of the top Conspiracy theories. Do you believe in them, or not?
So what are Conspiracy theories?
Conspiracy theories are theories that from when a worldwide topic is discussed. Even if there is a reason for a problem/situation people will come up with theories even if they are ridiculously untrue. Even if these things happened a while ago people will still argue about these things.
1st Reason:
The desire for understanding and certainty
Seeking explanations for events is a natural human desire. We constantly ask why things happen. Why does she not like me? Why did I fail the test I studied for? Why does it have to rain? We don’t just ask questions, we also find answers to them. True or not we make them up to make us feel better. According to the article, Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? By David Ludden.
The desire for control and security
People need to feel they’re in control of their lives. For example, most people feel safer if they are the driver of the car rather than the passenger because they are in command of the vehicle, which gives them certainty. Even the best drivers get into accidents no matter what. This is the same with conspiracy theories. They make you feel secure and make you feel you are in control.
The desire to maintain a positive self-image
“Research shows that people who feel socially marginalized are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories.” According to the article, Identity Self-Image, Self-Concept written by Psychology today. We all have a desire to maintain a positive self-image, which normally comes from what we do in life and with who we are, our jobs, and our relationships with family and friends. If we know we make a positive impression or difference in the lives of others we see our own as worthwhile. But say you feel lonely because you haven’t worked for years and you feel plugged out of the community you are in, everyone is off living their best lives. You feel socially excluded. However, you do have plenty of time on your hands to surf the internet for information about conspiracy theories.
2nd Reason:
Us Humans see Patterns everywhere for example:
01 01 01 01 01 01…
And if there is not a pattern we tend to make up something to again make us feel better.
Fun Fact:
25% of People in America see some truth in the theories about Covid.
Here are the sources I used:
Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? By David Ludden.
36 of the most popular conspiracy theories in the US By Insider.
Identity Self-Image, Self-Concept written by Phiscoligy today.
A look at the Americans who believe there is some truth to the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was planned written by Pew Research Center
Conspiracy theories lurk all around the Internet. The reasons behind why people come up with them are fascinating. It’s interesting to think that maybe someone in their basement came up with one of the theories on the internet, and that was only because they might have felt lonely.
