11 ms·
Not everything is mental illness, but dyslexia, ADHD, and other disabilities cause learning problems. Many flat earthers are illiterate. I can't imagine they
by TameAntelope 5y ago
Not everything is mental illness, but dyslexia, ADHD, and other disabilities cause learning problems.
Many flat earthers are illiterate. I can't imagine they put a lot of trust into a system that would not think very highly of them, as a result.
- tpoacher 5y agoThis is highly speculative. And dyslexia and learning difficulties are not mental illness (at least not in the way you imply). I would have far less reason to believe such populations would be 'more' likely to engage in critical thinking (flawed or otherwise), compared to simply uncritically following mainstream thought. But, anyway. Doesn't matter either way.
- TameAntelope 5y agoI'm not implying anything, I'm directly stating that there's a correlation between mental disorders that cause learning difficulties and participation in conspiracy theories such as QAnon and flat earth. Yes it's speculative, but it's also predictive. If you can engage people who belong to these groups honestly, you will hear, over and over again, stories about how academic establishments have failed them in some traumatic way or another, leaving them mistrustful of what is, in effect, the entire concept of learning. And nearly every one of these stories you will be told originate at some form of mental disorder. These people aren't just stupid, they're actively anti-learning, which makes them so much worse than stupid; they want to make others stupid too.