Conspiracy theories: Who actually believes it, and why?

There are conspiracy theories that nearly everyone knows. That the moon landing never took place should, for example, or that the American secret service CIA, in fact, an "Inside Job" for the attacks of September 11. September 2001 should be responsible. But that is only the surface. No Thesis seems to be absurd, to make a conspiracy. So there are actually people who believe that German Chancellor Angela Merkel the daughter of Adolf Hitler.

The book

Christian Alt / Christian Schiffer

"Angela Merkel is Hitler's daughter. In the Land of conspiracy theories"

288 pages

Hanser

€ 18

After this rather crude theory, Christian Alt and Christian Schiffer named her book. In "Angela Merkel is Hitler's daughter – In the Land of conspiracy theories" try to understand how such claims work and who actually are the people that firmly believe in it.

The most important question of the conspiracy theorists: "to Whom does it matter?"

This is one of the most important findings: conspiracy theorists are people too – and often you believe of only-too-human motives of absurd theories. Scientific studies have shown that especially people with low self-efficacy will fall for it. You make in your everyday experience, that its Action has no impact on the world. From this you conclude that the entire world is determined by either the Illuminati, the banks, or "those up there", whoever that may be.

they are Driven by the question of "Cui bono?" – "Who benefits?". A feeling of constant deprivation, the conspiracy theorist buried deeper and deeper in Pashacasino a world of their own, and no one at can. Old and Schiffer, some of you have visited and tried to teach them Better. The two journalists, failed in a crash, because: Who is the first off the grid for once in the world of conspiracy theories, the information is no longer applicable, could be contrary to the own world of thoughts.

conspiracy theory Australia, there is not – no matter how many people were already there,

platforms, such as Facebook or Youtube amplify this effect. Like-Minded people to swap ideas, share pictures or Links of the flimsy pages and spines, more and more in a battle of "us-against-them".

A lock in Facebook is regarded in the Community as a knight. Even worse, it was on Youtube, say the authors. There are thousands of Videos, which explains why, allegedly, nothing is as it seems.

With the facts you need to come

so How can people change his mind just believe what you want to believe? Most of the skeptics are well-informed To much better than your – self if the should have with the unspectacular theory, that the world may not be a Dan Brown Thriller, legal. "With facts you can't fight a conspiracy theorist", say the authors. You recommend to develop a new debate culture, in the nothing "is no alternative", but every member of the society with his opinion valued. On the other hand: it is Precisely the ability to spread from any location, using a Computer or cell phone of his own theses, in a surge of the most absurd theories.

But also those who should himself to the Reasonable count, perhaps sometimes your Beliefs. Because some of what has been proven, without a doubt, would be long gone as a pure conspiracy theory, if someone would come up with the idea. Who would have claimed some years ago that the American government phone listening on conversations in the world, would probably not have been taken for full. And what would you have said that before 2011, someone who would have given a terrorist group of neo-Nazis blamed for the death of foreigners? . Sometimes reality is more absurd than you can imagine.

Date Of Update: 31 October 2018, 19:02