Conspiracy High: When Truthers get Addicted

The movement faces a lot of internal problem. It's a sad fact of my life that I spend more time concerned about the internal problems than the external goal of accountability. It's mostly our fault though. Truly. Too many truthers let their emotions get way too intertwined with their theories. When this happens on such a massive scale, it leads to a massive clump of infantile problems.

One of the problems these emotions cause? Well, they cause something I like to call a "Conspiracy High". This is when someone gets exposed to one conspiracy theory, in this case, the alternative to the official conspiracy theory that our government was behind the attacks. Their mind is so blown by this that they begin to distrust everything from the opposition, and trust everything on their side. The problem is that some people on their side, like the infamous everything-the-government-does-is-a-conspiracy Alex Jones, propogate several, maybe even hundreds of conspiracy theories. This leads to ignoring facts and simply accepting the words of their leaders in conspiracy land. People like Art Bell, who can't tell the difference between his theories and the plot to Half-Life, suddenly gain credibility. When people like THAT can be listened to with the purpose of being INFORMED, this WILL, under every circumstance, lead to this person believing that everything that was ever done is part of a secret plot. EVERYTHING is a conspiracy.

Now, some things outside 9/11 are suspect, I'd go that far. I certainly don't trust everything the government tells me. I also don't trust everything that John Bursill says, or Julian Ware, or Jim Hoffman, or other prominent 9/11 truthers who I generally agree with. I am skeptical of EVERYTHING, not just one side. For me, everything is suspect until I look into it and am able - if able - to convince myself otherwise.

But not everyone is like this. Some people get to a point where they believe in so many conspiracy theories that it becomes a part of who they are. They just can'tlet go of ANY of them, because to let go of one is to be skeptical of ALL of them, and to be skeptical of all of them runs the risk of dropping the majority of their beliefs, possibly even all of them. It runs the risk of damaging themselves, which is something they just can not do.

This leads to several things. For example, it helps support the common stereotype that 9/11 truthers believe in many other conspiracy theories. It also runs the risk of holding a belief that is debunked, which by association will weaken your other arguments. But most importantly, it means you lose the ability to be unbiased. You are no longer an advocate of the truth, you are an advocate of YOUR truth. An advocate of delusion.

What is the secret to avoiding a "conspiracy high"? DON'T let your emotions get in the way of your critical thinking process. Yes, it can easily be overwhelming. Yes, it might make it difficult for you to discern what's legit and what's not. But if you find something you were led to believe is proven wrong, take it as a lesson, not a criticism. Get a grip on yourself and follow what the evidence says. Don't listen to the major figures for facts unless you're confirming what they're saying. Double-check, triple-check if you have to, just don't weaken yourself by sticking with theories that are proven to be wrong. That's the only way you'll present credibility to others. It's the only way you'll give credibility to yourself.