On Conspiracy

I find it remarkable that so many people believe some rather crazy theories regarding almost every aspect of history, ranging from modern events such as the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001 and the moon landings, to more antiquated history such as the now countless conspiracies surrounding the Knights Templar, and going back further, the early church. Much of what I feel on this issue can be summed up beautifully by this XKCD cartoon… The sense of frustration is almost overwhelming. It is not within the scope of this entry to analyse the factual accuracy of any specific theories, but to try to understand why the population at large is so fascinated by them and facilitates their perpetuation and proliferation.

One must ask why it is that people find it easier to believe some form of hideous conspiracy than to face a fact? I believe that the best route to the answer is to ask the auxiliary question: “What do most conspiracy theories have in common?”
The answer, I believe, is that the majority of them involve a small, secretive collective of individuals lying to the public at large about events that have happened in order to gain a significant financial advantage.
This, as it happens, strikes me as being the very profession of a conspiracy theorist. The reason they all consist of the same basic underlying idea is because that’s the life the theorist author in question lives.
That, however, only covers the conception of a theory… the virus-speed spreading of it is very different. Quite simply the answer is ‘gossip’.

“Gossip” may be defined as “hearing something we like about someone we don’t!” [Quote: J John, Just 10 series Gateshead]. Most conspiracy theories gain popularity because they are inherently anti-establishment. They implicate royal families, Governments, Churches, any form of long-standing institution or anyone with authority. The motive any individual author may have in targeting a conspiracy at any particular organisation can only be assessed case by case, person by person. We do not know what axes people have to grind until they tell us, but hatred is popular. It is easier to hate and insult someone than to act as a voice of reason or to utter a kind and encouraging word. it is far more comfortable and less risky to act as a conduit for a destructive rumour, where the honourable thing would be to either steer well clear of such gossip, or research the facts and set the record straight. Giving the benefit of the doubt does not make one weak, it shows reasoned thinking. Gossip can destroy reputations and leave innocent people and organisations in ruins, our tongues are fiercely powerful weapons, [See James 3:3-7] perhaps the greatest joy that people glean from conspiracy theories is that they use these weapons to not just ’stick it to the man’, but to seriously damage the image of ‘the man’. My only request to the conveyors of conspiracy theories is this: feel free to spread whatever false story you wish, but just think: what if it were you being implicated?