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Conspiracy theories are drawn out of people's beliefs and most of the time based on imagination. The persistence of conspiracy theories throughout time results from a tendency of people to shift blame away from themselves. A common conspiracy is that vaccines are unsafe and cause autism, suggesting that every major hospital and health organization is covering up this in order to avoid chaos in society. However, vaccine safety has been proven through gene testing to disprove this theory. Despite this gene testing, people to this day will not get their children vaccinated due to this conspiracy. People are given factual information to direct them towards the truth; however, most people have a hard time surrendering their thoughts upon becoming aware of these facts. Although there is substantial evidence to disprove various conspiracy theories, people who are presented with facts continue to hold on to what they believe to be true due to a confirmation bias. Conspiracy theorists do not value facts as an important part in their decision making process because their ideology is more or less unwavered by outside influence. Conspiracy theorists refuse to take facts into account, due to their desire to be different. The reason that they reject the status quo centers around their yearning to have a distinct ideology that wavers from society.
People want to be different, having unique qualities set people apart from others allowing them to stand out. The ideology people chose to hold on to and follow usually depends on demographics. Shown in Kluger's article "One survey showed that about 42% of people without a high school education believe in at least one conspiracy theory, compared to 23% of people with a post-graduate degree." This portrays the idea that less educated people disproportionately believe in conspiracy theories. The reason for this is that educated people are more tolerant and open to new ideas, even if they contradict their own ideology.
Another similar study was examined in Kolbert's article, in which students were asked to respond to two different studies based off of their views. These two studies were based off of two different stances one which was support to prevent the argument, while the other provided data that cast a doubt on. Each study was purposely fabricated in order to create an atmosphere that dramatically enhances each different side to the study, Kolbert states "At the end of the experiment, the students were asked once again about their views. Those who'd started out pro-capital punishment were now even more in favor of it; those who'd opposed it were even more hostile." Now the knowledge behind these studies is the due to their desire to be different. Once again rejecting the status quo which is the main reason they have such distinct ideology to waver from society.
An analysis of conspiracy theories reveals one crucial challenge facing people of lower power. Throughout Kluger's article, "Why So Many People Believe Conspiracy Theories," he provides statements from people of lesser power and comes up with conspiracies to help aid their chance at achieving peace of mind. As stated by Uscinski, in Kluger's article "People who have lost an election, money or influence look for something to explain that loss." Demonstrated similarly in The New Yorker, Kolbert displays the idea that people simply cannot think outside of their own beliefs. Kolbert's article states that, "'confirmation bias,'[is] the tendency people have to embrace information that supports their beliefs and reject information that contradicts them." Based on the study that Kolbert researched, she examines the way normal people have biases towards the way they are told to think, even when faced with the facts. For example, after a few rounds of the suicide letter experiment, half of the students were told that they were failing at guessing the correct ones while the other half were told they were doing extremely well. At the end of the experiment, both groups were told that everyone was doing average and there was not a distinct difference between each student. Although these students received the facts that there was no drastic difference, those who were told they were failing said they believed they weren't doing well; and those who were told they were succeeding believed they were doing exponentially better. This suggests that people who are presented with facts will still be biased and not want to change their beliefs surrounding conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories allow the formation of a different thinking process, a dramatic solution by someone or some group who usually do not know all of the key facts. Most people have the sensation of wanting to be unique compared to what society pushes on to the population. However, most passionate ideologies are provided by the ones who most likely do not know all of the facts. In Klugers article he explains the idea that "...in fostering conspiracies is a desire to be special or different - and that's a need that cuts across demographic lines." The solutions of conspiracies that people come up with have little to no correlation with the facts. However, those who are passionate about a specific subject will shine their aspirations on a conspiracy that they made up.
Similarly to Kolbert's example of a survey given to random people, asking on a political topic based on what the U.S. government should do in response to "Russia annex[ing] the Ukrainian territory of Crimea." Then stating that, "The farther off base they were about the geography, the more likely they were to favor military intervention." Demonstrating this idea that those who are passionate about a certain topic, ideology or conspiracy most likely are those who know the least about the situation. While a fact is presented, such as Russia doing something and the idea that the U.S. must have a response, people will then feel the need to react based off the bias and the thought process they were given by the wording of the question.
Conspiracies allow the imagination to run rampant. Despite the fact that many people desire to be unique and different, societal pressures will always play a part in the way people think. Those of lesser power tend to demand a different theory of why things occur the way that they do in order to not take responsibility for their inferiority. This furthers the notion that most people who are passionate about a unique situation are most likely those who know the least about the topic. Many people want to reject society's mold of human nature, but when exposed to certain ideas, people will fight the factual evidence in order to stay true to their beliefs. Conspiracy theorists dismiss factual evidence due to the demand on themselves to be different. Rejecting status quo as stated before it the reason people chose to find a different path of reasoning in order to find their faith.