Bringing conspiracy theorists back from the brink (with Jesse Richardson)
Dec 28, 2023
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In this engaging discussion, Jesse Richardson, an internationally award-winning creative director and founder of The School of Thought, dives deep into the world of conspiracy theories. He addresses the psychological motivations behind conspiratorial thinking, emphasizing how personality traits like narcissism play a role. Explore strategies for effective communication with those entrenched in these beliefs while fostering open dialogue. Jesse also highlights the balance between educational reforms and cultural changes needed to enhance critical thinking skills in society.
Conspiracy theories are not significantly increasing over time, but social media amplifies their influence.
Differentiating between valuable skepticism and blindly believing conspiracy theories is crucial.
Intellectual humility and critical thinking can bridge the gap between conspiracy theorists and skeptics.
Deep dives
Conspiracy Theories: Common Misconceptions and Influence of Social Media
Research shows that conspiracy theories have not significantly increased in prevalence over time, although some have gained more traction due to social media. While conspiracies may not be widespread, they can still influence politics and create doubt. There is a need to differentiate between valuable skepticism and blindly believing every conspiracy theory. Some past conspiracy theories, like the MKUltra project, have been true, highlighting the need for nuance in evaluating conspiracy theories.
Addressing Conspiratorial Thinking with Intellectual Humility
Conspiracy theories often stem from a desire to question authority and hold institutions accountable. It is essential to acknowledge the value of examining companies and governments critically. However, intellectual humility is vital to distinguish between true conspiracies that have been proven and inaccurate theories. It is crucial to foster a metacognitive approach that promotes critical thinking and probabilistic reasoning rather than binary thinking. The conspiracy test developed by Jesse Richardson aims to engage conspiracy theorists in a non-adversarial way, encouraging thoughtful evaluation of conspiracy theories.
The Role of Intellectual Humility in Challenging Conspiracy Theories and Facilitating Mind Change
Intellectual humility, the recognition that one's beliefs may be fallible, is key to effectively challenging conspiracy theories. Admitting uncertainty and recognizing one's emotional and social drivers can create a productive dialogue. Building rapport, listening, and understanding conspiracy theorists' perspectives can help change minds without causing defensiveness. Openness to softening beliefs, planting seeds of doubt, and engaging in probabilistic thinking are more effective than attempting to debunk conspiracy theories using facts and logic. Promoting critical thinking and fostering intellectual humility can bridge the gap between conspiracy theorists and skeptics.
The Role of In-Group-Outgroup Dynamics in Conspiracy Thinking
In conspiracy thinking, there is often a strong presence of in-group and outgroup dynamics, where people seek connection and belonging by joining conspiracy-minded communities. This can be driven by feelings of social or economic threat and underlying racist motivators. Jewish people have been a frequent target of conspiracy theories due to their intellectual culture and perception of elitism, which plays into xenophobia and anti-elitism. Conjecture is involved, but these dynamics seem to drive much of the conspiracy thinking.
Exploring the Heuristic of "Number of People Keeping a Secret"
The heuristic of considering the number of people required to keep a secret as a gauge of the plausibility of a conspiracy theory is not absolute but worth considering. While real conspiracies involving a large number of people can exist, extreme conspiracy theories may be less credible when the numbers of individuals involved are unrealistic. National security, military, or tight-knit groups can sometimes maintain secrecy, challenging simplistic application of this heuristic, but it remains a useful tool for assessing conspiracy claims.
Have conspiracy theories been more prevalent, more persuasive, or more convoluted in the last few decades than at other points in human history? Is the presence of conspiracy theorists a feature of every society? The phrase "conspiracy theory" usually implies a false theory, even though some are eventually proven to be true; so how can we update our language to better differentiate between disconfirmed and not-yet-confirmed conspiracy theories? How can people who've really gone down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole come back back from the brink? More generally, what conditions need to be met for a person to change their mind about anything? What are the key motivators of conspiratorial thinking? Why do so many conspiracy theories incorporate strong antisemitic elements? To what degree are conspiracy theorists swayed by arguments from the requisite number of co-conspirators in a conspiracy? How should people research a conspiracy theory? Which personality traits are correlated with conspiratorial thinking? What's a good definition of wisdom? And how could wisdom help us combat the epistemic crisis through which we seem to be living right now? When, if ever, is it useful to approach a topic adversarially? Which would better mitigate the epistemic crisis: education reform or cultural change?
Jesse Richardson is an internationally award-winning creative director and the founder of the nonprofit The School of Thought, which is dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and understanding. The Creative Commons resources The School of Thought has produced have so far reached over 30 million people and are being used in thousands of schools, universities, and companies worldwide. Their latest project is The Conspiracy Test, which is a gamified way to help increase healthy skepticism about conspiracy theories. It can been accessed for free at theconspiracytest.org. Learn more about Jesse and The School of Thought at schoolofthought.org.
