Who Believes in Conspiracy Theories?

Chemtrail conspiracy theory

Source: janjf93/Pixabay

The internet seems to contain a dizzying array of conspiracy theories, which range from the almost credible to the frankly paranoid and bizarre. Some are harmless, like the Lunar Landing classic, or even funny, like the Flat Earth theory. Others, like the misinformation concerning vaccines, are seriously dangerous, so dangerous in fact that children die as a result. The WHO estimates that over 100,000 children died of measles worldwide in 2023, most of them unvaccinated. Many would have missed the vaccine because of poor access to healthcare in poor areas, but vaccine hesitancy has been a key factor in developed countries in recent years. The BBC reports that, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University, there were nearly 1,300 confirmed measles cases in the US in July this year- a 33-year high. The vast majority were unvaccinated. It has also been reported that AIDS denialism by the government of South Africa, motivated by conspiracy theories, caused an estimated 330,000 deaths from AIDS.

Explanations

A number of theories have been postulated in an effort to explain why some people believe in conspiracy theories. Some say, for instance, that conspiracy theories help to provide simple explanations for complex issues in a confusing world, or that they appeal attractively to a Manichean and simplistic view of the world, eternally divided between the forces of good and evil. Believing that evil members of the social elite are tirelessly conspiring to harm and hide the truth from the powerless may provide some psychological comfort to individuals with a low self-esteem. This proves that it wasn't their fault that they were left behind.

But in fact it would be much easier to believe that they were left behind simply because they were economically and socially disadvantaged. It would also be much easier to believe that vaccines are useful, given that they have been saving lives since the 18th century, rather than choosing instead the latest random "natural" alternative for one's child, peddled by some odd internet paranoid personality with strong beliefs against Big Pharma. Similarly, it would certainly be much easier to believe that the trails airplanes leave in the sky are the result of condensation, rather than "chemtrails" of toxic agents, deliberately sprayed over populated areas for a variety of horrible purposes. Conspiracy theorists are not seeking simple explanations. If they did, they would choose the scientific and valid ones, but they seek instead difficult and extremely unlikely narratives.

Once created, conspiracy theories spread freely, primarily through the internet and certain non-mainstream media. In the past, there were very few effective channels for the dissemination of odd beliefs, so many of them presumably ended up dying with their hosts. However, the digital world has brought us the internet echo chambers, which spread, reinforce, and confirm not only individual conspiracy theories, but also the conspiracist's general style of thinking and view of the world.

Psychology

So who believes in these weird stories, despite overwhelming evidence of their falsehood? Why do they insist in favoring the unlikely explanation for a given event or phenomenon as opposed to an alternative that has been already proven and would be much easier to explain? Research has shown that certain personality parameters are often associated with these beliefs, such as a paranoid or schizotypal personality, having narcissistic traits, and/or being religious/spiritual, and a low intelligence.

Melanie Klein, the celebrated psychologist, described the "paranoid-schizoid position" in the infant, who according to her sees the world as divided between completely good and completely bad separate categories. An adult stuck in this position will remain unable to integrate good and evil, and will therefore be better predisposed to believe in the existence of evil cabalas operating behind the scenes.

Paranoia is the ingredient that links a low self-esteem with the fear and resentment of the powerful. A dose of misogyny, xenophobia and homophobia is often added to the mix. After all, women are sexually powerful, while those who are different will always be prime candidates for scapegoating and paranoia. The end result is the conspiracy theory, occasionally benign, but too often sinister and dangerous.