School of Thought: Understanding conspiracies
School of Thought 2.0 (Logo by Parkersburg South High School student Rayna Short)
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STUDENT INTRO: School of Thought was written by Parkersburg South High School senior Joseph Parsons. When he isn’t contemplating conspiracy theories, he enjoys reading graphic novels, is an avid Weezer fan and likes listening to other rock, rap, and electronic music and spending time playing video games.
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Conspiracy theories are famous and there are many that we know of. From true ones like Watergate and Richard Nixon’s involvement, to something completely outlandish like the existence of giants, or the earth being flat, one thing these have in common is that they fall under the same term. Conspiracy. A term defined by Merriam-Webster as “an agreement among conspirators.” When you look at some conspiracies, like the aforementioned one about giants, you wonder why anyone would conclude that it’s true, especially with factors like little evidence and the outlandishness of the concept. So, why do people believe in conspiracies, spend time highlighting famous conspiracies, and struggle to determine if they are true or false.
One major factor that can determine whether any person in particular believes in a conspiracy is their mindset. Take for example, someone that lacks motivation, seeking answers for things they don’t understand fully. Looking for control, these delusions are like a form of comfort, giving a better sense of control in life. These are why phrases such as “escaping the matrix” and “npc” are so popular. An article on the American Psychological Association’s website by Shauna Bowes stated, “Instead, many turn to conspiracy theories to fulfill deprived motivational needs and make sense of distress and impairment.” At the same time, these beliefs can be born from a desire to find the truth, to let people know what’s actually going on in the world. This in particular has helped the world in many ways before, in cases like the Pentagon Papers, and the eventual buildup to the Watergate scandal.
A famous conspiracy like Watergate is not like the others mentioned, the main reason being that it was true. The absolute flood of news about the scandal once it gained traction, and more evidence that came with it, was originally because of journalists doing their duty and informing the people. This led to Richard Nixon’s resignation despite previous statements like the infamous “I’m not a crook!” statement. It was one of the few conspiracy theories that have come true and led to actual change. However, conspiracy theories can also be harmful and, to some, seemingly delusional.
A perfect example of this is the famous flat earth conspiracy, a belief that, like the title says, the earth is flat. Before we knew what we do about our world today, many people believed the Earth was flat, and flat earth believers keep that belief alive today. Some flat earth believers, known in many places as “flat-earthers,” put thousands upon thousands of dollars into attempts to prove their point, just to be disproven. This is a perfect example of a bad conspiracy because believers like those in the Netflix documentary Behind the Curve have spent lots of money in an attempt to prove the false theory with no gain.
Some conspiracies, and my personal favorites, are ones that sound completely silly and unbelievable. I don’t believe them, but they’re fun to entertain in casual conversation with friends and family. A fun idea is to try to think of ones yourself, having fun with the idea, and still making sure to not delude yourself into fully believing it. This makes for good memories and good inside jokes. Making a bizarre explanation for something slightly unusual, like seeing something written on a wall and making up something about where it came from can be a good way to pass time.
Overall, conspiracy theories have their pros and cons. While they have helped find the truth before, other theories have been almost pure delusion and caused a great deal of commotion. There are reasons for these beliefs, like someone’s mindset. While it is not good to actually believe some of the outrageous conspiracy theories out there, it can still be fun to entertain the ideas in a non-serious way. In the end, it all depends on the theory itself, because the term conspiracy theory is a broad term, with many different ideals that fall under it.
