IBTL!

Some people just don't live in reality.

I know a long time family friend of my wife's family. He is the nicest guy, and he's a joy to just sit around and talk to in family conversation. He's well-educated, very smart, and it's just enjoyable to visit with him. He would also give you the shirt off his back. However, it is quite incredible the things he believes. He believes that Sandy Hook did not happen, that our own government brought down the World Trade Center, and a few other odd things I can't think of right now. Others believe the moon landing(s) was a hoax, that it never happened. People for strange reasons believe some strange things.
 
The common clay of the new West...
 
Is it a conspiracy, or a lack of faith in the government?

Interestingly enough, conspiracy theorists usually believe that the government is omni-potent and all powerful, while at the same time believing it is inept and unable to conceal what its doing.
 
Fallsrider said:
Some people just don't live in reality.

I know a long time family friend of my wife's family. He is the nicest guy, and he's a joy to just sit around and talk to in family conversation. He's well-educated, very smart, and it's just enjoyable to visit with him. He would also give you the shirt off his back. However, it is quite incredible the things he believes. He believes that Sandy Hook did not happen, that our own government brought down the World Trade Center, and a few other odd things I can't think of right now. Others believe the moon landing(s) was a hoax, that it never happened. People for strange reasons believe some strange things.
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I have met people like this. Super intelligent folks yet not smart enough to NOT look up at the ceiling with their mouth open in the shower.
 
My barber is an otherwise normal person, former tech guy, but don't get him started ion the vast global conspiracy, Rothschilds, all manner of nonsensical stuff. I am beginning to suspect it may be a form of narcissism for some. "I'm a normal person, everyone else is one-dimensional and obviously being controlled by evil masterminds". Don't know... don't have the time to spare worrying about it. I just don't engage them in conversation.
 
There seems to be an almost religious aspect to it, and I’m not taking genuine Christianity...
Most of those who believe in this, and other stuff like chemtrails have underlying presuppositions that are very deeply rooted. A surprising number of those I know are actually right-Wing anarchists, libertarians, New Age types.
 
It took 14 posts for the "R" word to be mentioned. I'm impressed! ;)
 
Pilawt said:
When someone lays out some intricate government/Trilateral Commission/Illuminati/chemtrail/alien-Elvis/etc. conspiracy theory to me, I glance furtively to the left and to the right, then in sotto voce tell him, "That's what they want you to think!"
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Lmao. That is just mean, but so funny

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One explanation I heard on conspiracy theories makes a lot of sense. People who believe in these things are essentially optimists. They're optimists because, if you believe in this conspiracy then there's just this one idea that needs debunked or this one person or group we need to expose and take out. You just need to beat this one conspiracy and then all our problems go away- we'll all be happy, healthy, and wealthy.

Isn't that much nicer way to see the world rather than the horrible mess we live in where there are no good or easy solutions... or in some cases any solutions to the problems we face?
 
cowman said:
One explanation I heard on conspiracy theories makes a lot of sense. People who believe in these things are essentially optimists. They're optimists because, if you believe in this conspiracy then there's just this one idea that needs debunked or this one person or group we need to expose and take out. You just need to beat this one conspiracy and then all our problems go away- we'll all be happy, healthy, and wealthy.

Isn't that much nicer way to see the world rather than the horrible mess we live in where there are no good or easy solutions... or in some cases any solutions to the problems we face?
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Hmmm. Not sure if I agree so much with that theory. That seems to fly in the face of conspiracy theories regarding lone gunman assassinations where people don’t want to believe that Oswald or Ray acted alone. Believing that there was a great conspiracy seems more pessimistic than believing that it was as simple as one guy.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Hmmm. Not sure if I agree so much with that theory. That seems to fly in the face of conspiracy theories regarding lone gunman assassinations where people don’t want to believe that Oswald or Ray acted alone. Believing that there was a great conspiracy seems more pessimistic than believing that it was as simple as one guy.
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Believing that a vast conspiracy could take place and remain secret requires a level of optimism regarding human capabilities for sure. And a willingness to make up connections and causalities where none are apparent.
 
Tantalum said:
Right?!

..and have you ever wondered why when you are flying on a long cross country you don't have to occasional trim down so you don't fly off the earth and into the oblivion?
...
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Yea, it seems like if the earth were round then you would gain a ton of altitude in level flight. And if it were round, then why don't we have underground high speed shafts to bring our goods over from China faster? Seems like a mach1 elevator would be handier than a bunch of slow boats that have to travel 'around the globe'.
 
texasclouds said:
Yea, it seems like if the earth were round then you would gain a ton of altitude in level flight. And if it were round, then why don't we have underground high speed shafts to bring our goods over from China faster? Seems like a mach1 elevator would be handier than a bunch of slow boats that have to travel 'around the globe'.
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Come on. If the earth were flat, the cats would have pushed everything off by now.
 
texasclouds said:
Yea, it seems like if the earth were round then you would gain a ton of altitude in level flight. And if it were round, then why don't we have underground high speed shafts to bring our goods over from China faster? Seems like a mach1 elevator would be handier than a bunch of slow boats that have to travel 'around the globe'.
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I think you are onto something here...
 
texasclouds said:
Yea, it seems like if the earth were round then you would gain a ton of altitude in level flight. And if it were round, then why don't we have underground high speed shafts to bring our goods over from China faster? Seems like a mach1 elevator would be handier than a bunch of slow boats that have to travel 'around the globe'.
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Obviously because that was part of the treaty with the Mole People after the war. Sheesh, let’s try and be serious here.
 
texasclouds said:
Yea, it seems like if the earth were round then you would gain a ton of altitude in level flight. And if it were round, then why don't we have underground high speed shafts to bring our goods over from China faster? Seems like a mach1 elevator would be handier than a bunch of slow boats that have to travel 'around the globe'.
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Fred Thomas said:
Obviously because that was part of the treaty with the Mole People after the war. Sheesh, let’s try and be serious here.
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I am the Underminer! I am beneath you but no one is beneath me!
 
Here's the photo proof the earth is a globe:

l4ln1550f3a01.jpg
 
paflyer said:
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Wow. You know, I had the same thoughts he did... when I was four years old or so. The only thing his video proves is that knowledge and abilities in one field do not necessarily translate into any other. Apparently one can earn degrees in mathematics and law without gaining even the most basic layman's understanding of physics.
 
Damn...next thing you know you'll tell me I can take off in an airplane from a treadmill.
 
In the wide spectrum of conspiracy theories/denialist communities/etc there is a continuum - from the widely wacky flat-earthers and chem-trailers to the (IMHO) just as easily factually debunked folks who don’t believe in influenza vaccines or global warming, etc.

See ya.
 
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SkyDog58 said:
Hmmm. Not sure if I agree so much with that theory. That seems to fly in the face of conspiracy theories regarding lone gunman assassinations where people don’t want to believe that Oswald or Ray acted alone. Believing that there was a great conspiracy seems more pessimistic than believing that it was as simple as one guy.
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I say it still works, Oswald killing Kennedy shows that all the might and power of the US government cannot protect one man from a lone assassin. There are some people who need to feel like an authority is in charge at all times and for them this kind of thing is horrifying. Now, if there was a conspiracy theory that people within that mighty US government acted to kill Kennedy then that's actually better- that just means you have some bad people acting within the government. You can conceivably find that, root it out, make everyone safe and happy and healthy again. It might be difficult but you can wrap your head around it pretty easily and see it happening. A lone individual with a few screws loose changing the course of human events? That's terrifying and you probably can't do anything about it practically speaking. It's a terrifying thing... and for some it's less scary to just believe Kennedy had enemies in the CIA and Oswald was just some powerless patsy.

IDK if that's really how it works, I expect I've just put more thought into it than the conspiracy theorists themselves but to me it makes sense.
 
I think it's important we appreciate flat-earthers and other imbeciles; every self delusional moron, dysfunctional eccentric, and generic wacko reduces the competition for the rest of us. Hell, if you can get up and dress each day, and just show up, you're already ahead of 1/4 of the population.
 
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