Why Do Conspiracy Theories Exist?
The Earth is flat, the moon landing was fake, and there is a behind-the-curtain government that pulls the strings on the world. While some conspiracy theories may sound silly, others could be dangerous, psychology Professor Ronald Harvey warns. Some conspiracies might have a grain of truth to them while others could be completely made up. But despite the differences, there is a degree of similarity in the way all conspiracy theories emerge: they usually arise from feelings of skepticism towards the world.
Why do conspiracy theories emerge?
Defined as “theories that explain an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators,” conspiracy theories imply that a secret of massive importance is being kept from ordinary people. But why do such conspiratorial scenarios exist?
Conspiracy theories thrive on people’s sense of distrust, most often towards institutions and authorities.
Political science Professor Robert Phillips explains that individuals who live with an ingrained sense of insecurity are more likely to believe in conspiracies. Feeling threatened all the time, such people are likely to show distrust toward conventional knowledge and political authorities.
I spoke to K.I., a guy in his early 60s, who has a peculiar set of beliefs that invokes all kinds of insults, including to his sanity and intelligence. For this reason, he chose to remain anonymous. The main conspiracy theory he believes in is based on an unconventional interpretation of the Bible.
The Book of Revelation says that seven trumpets will sound one at a time to warn of the apocalypse. K.I. believes that global warming, mass pollution, and deforestation signal that we’re hearing the first trumpet. His evidence:
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” Revelation 8:7, King James Version
Normally, hearing the first trumpet would mean that apocalypse is nearby. But combined with the pandemic, K.I. argues, this first warning cues the establishment of new world order. A world where insanely rich individuals will have totalitarian power over humanity and control people’s thoughts. The mechanism is already clear, control will be established through the nanochips in Covid-19 vaccines, according to K.I.
Contrary to popular assumptions, the level of general education does not influence whether a person will believe in conspiracy theories, Professor Phillips explains. Profiling indicates that people who show up at riots against Covid-19 measures are mostly well-educated. K.I. has two bachelor’s degrees.
Believing in conspiracies has more to do with information literacy and whether people can differentiate between bias, truth, and lies. Individuals above 29 are statistically more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. One reason is that older generations often do not have the instruments to approach information critically. When print media used to be the primary source of knowledge, it was easier to distinguish between the credible and the biased. In the era of the Internet, it is increasingly harder to do so.
Professor Phillips further explains that conspiratorial thoughts are more common in agreeable people who are open to accepting unusual views. Another indicator that a person is likely to believe in conspiracy theories is the tendency to look for simple explanations even for complex occurrences.
As Professor Harvey puts it, “Humans are meaning-making machines.” But humans also make many errors in their judgment. They hate being wrong, which means that if something confirms their preexisting beliefs, people will likely consider it to be true.
Within groups, certain dynamics can drive the spread of conspiracy theories. Personal authority is one factor that can add to the legitimacy of a claim, Professor Phillips points out. Communities that are suspicious of the outside world — particularly ideological minorities, are more vulnerable. In such groups, people will not always believe the conspiracy theories they hear. But will usually pass them on, especially when the theories come from a person with authority. The narrative that the outside world is trying to harm the insiders helps to create close-knit communities where it is easier for conspiracies to spread.
Why are conspiracy theories popular in some countries but not in others?
Professor Phillips explains that in some nations, more people show distrust of the government or institutions. Marginalized groups are generally likely to believe in conspiracy theories. According to Professor Harvey, when people feel weak, having an unusual or controversial belief gives them the illusion of regaining control of their lives. If a country happens to have higher numbers of marginalized groups, conspiracy theories will likely spread there.
Some conspiracy theories are born in local communities because of the similar recent experiences that people have had, Dr. Ela Drazkiewicz found. One example is the anti-HPV vaccine movement that emerged in Ireland. Around 2015, numerous Irish parents were concerned because their teenage daughters started developing strange symptoms post-HPV vaccination. So, the parents mobilized and called for attention. Dr. Drazkiewicz suggests that the Irish are easily triggered by things that seem like a threat to their children. As a nation, they still remember the abuse young girls suffered in the infamous Mother and Baby homes. These dynamics might be the root of popular distrust of the Irish government and health authorities, Dr. Drazkiewicz explains.
The uneven geographical spread of conspiracy theories could be further explained through the existence of national role conceptions (NRC). NRC, Professor Phillips explains, are common ideas and narratives that people have of their nation and its role in the world. Those narratives can show if a nation is predisposed to feel distrust toward the outside world. Arguably, distrustful nations are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories.
K.I. believes that Bulgaria has been the victim of stronger powers for a large part of its history. “They’ve taken everything from us,” he says. Enslaved and reduced to ruins by the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria has been robbed of the chance to develop economically.
The story that K.I. has been told about his homeland ever since he was a child has made him extremely suspicious of other countries. “How can I believe anything they say? They stood back and watched as Bulgaria was under slavery for five centuries!” he says. K.I. perceives the efforts of the European Union to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Bulgaria as a conspiracy to, once again, enslave the Bulgarian people and manipulate their minds through the nanochips in vaccines.
Covid-19-related conspiracy theories have become popular in most Eastern European countries, notably Bulgaria. A similar peak in conspiratorial thinking happened in 20th-century post-war America. Conspiracy theories were so widespread that a “culture of paranoia” emerged, as author Timothy Melley suggests. Americans were anxious about the ideas of thought-control, surveillance, and secret government plots. More than 70 years later, the same anxieties are shared by K.I. and many others with similar beliefs.
Why do conspiracy theories spread around?
While some nations might have more people who are predisposed to believing in conspiracy theories, those beliefs are in no way limited to particular countries. Rather, conspiracies are contagious with their diffusional spread (like viruses) across cultures and borders. As an example, Professor Phillips points to the anti-Covid-19 vaccine demonstrations that have been popping up like copycats around the globe.
Often, the people who spread conspiracy theories are portrayed as deceptive. However, they are not always ill-intentioned, according to Professor Phillips. It could be people who are trying to help in a situation and don’t know any better. Like K.I.’s general practitioner who prescribes Ivermectin tablets to treat Covid-19. Or it could be people who are being ironic in spreading conspiracy theories. Like Yordan Yordanov, who shares that he likes participating in conspiracy groups on social media not because he believes in the theories but because he finds it fun.
Either way, the result is that the information is passed on to other people. And every time a conspiracy theory is transmitted from one person to another, it becomes a little bit more legitimate.
Nadezhda is a journalism student at the American University in Bulgaria. Her interest in social phenomena has inspired her to try to explain why conspiracy theories are created and how they spread.
