> Conspiracy theories also supply a seductive ego boost. Believers often consider themselves part of a select in-group that — unlike the deluded masses — has fi

> Conspiracy theories also supply a seductive ego boost. Believers often consider themselves part of a select in-group that — unlike the deluded masses — has figured out what's really going on. > When such theories become entrenched in the public consciousness, however, they erode people's trust in authorities and the status quo. I've been thinking a lot lately about how our institutions run on faith. One of my favorite quotes from Sapiens: > Sapiens have been living in a dual reality. On the one hand, the objective reality of rivers, trees and lions; and on the other hand, the imagined reality of gods, nations and corporations. As time went by, the imagined reality became ever more powerful, so that today the very survival of rivers, trees and lions depends on the grace of imagined entities such as the United States and Google. The thing is, we kinda need these imagined realities. We need them to continue being collectively imagined in a positive light. I am from the Soviet Union. If you think you have it bad, imagine not being about to drive for an hour without getting pulled over and having to bribe a cop. Why do Russian cops need bribes, while American cops will bust you if you try to bribe them? The difference is entirely based on the cops' respective ideas about what they're doing. The American cops believe that laws are important, that their jobs are to keep people safe. When we punish people who stray from the ideal, we re-enforce the ideal. Corrupt cops and politicians must be punished, if our institutions are going to remain free of corruption. If we're cynical about transgressions, and say stuff like "of course that politician took a bribe, all politicians take bribes" then we actively re-enforce the negative model. This is exactly what, e.g. Trump does when he says "you think our country is so innocent?" He wants to normalize corruption because he himself is corrupt, and if it's normalized he can get away with it. Thus, this kind of thinking is a vicious cycle. If everyone is cynical about institutions, the actors in those institutions will be enabled to behave more badly, which justifies further cynicism. And cynicism is easy -- as TFA says, it gives you an ego boost. You're hip, nobody is pulling the wool over your eyes, you know what's really going on. The benefits are internalized, while the costs are externalized. I think conspiracy theory thinking is a harmful meme. It's a collective disease of society that undermines our social institutions -- you know, the ones we depend on to keep us safe and free from tyrants and corruption. I treat friends who spread conspiracy thinking the same way I treat friends who sneeze on shared food or have unprotected sex with an STD. If you believe nonsense, that's your prerogative, but if you're going to spread it by talking about it, I'm going to shut you down. If you agree with me, join me. Tl;dr: friends don't let friends spread conspiracy theories.