Today I found myself arguing with a woman who insists that, in spite of the fact that the Alzheimer's Association reports that there is no scientific evidence to prove the connection, that aluminum causes Alzheimer's. And when challenged, she suggested that the CEO of Alz.org is in cahoots with the CEO of aluminum extraction (?) to hide this connection from the public.
This discussion made me unreasonably angry. Normally, I just ignore these things, so I must be extra sensitive today. But I don't really want to debate the merits of the argument. I want to ask a question of you all, dear readers, which is this:
What is the benefit to believing in conspiracy theories? What purpose does that serve?
Believing in God or gods serves a purpose that I can understand, whether I believe the same thing another person does or not. Following a code of ethics or morals - even if they aren't the same as mine - provides a discernable benefit. Being a disciple of science, as I am, makes sense to me. But believing in conspiracies? What does the believer get out of this? How does this help someone get through the day? Please help me understand.
This discussion made me unreasonably angry. Normally, I just ignore these things, so I must be extra sensitive today. But I don't really want to debate the merits of the argument. I want to ask a question of you all, dear readers, which is this:
What is the benefit to believing in conspiracy theories? What purpose does that serve?
Believing in God or gods serves a purpose that I can understand, whether I believe the same thing another person does or not. Following a code of ethics or morals - even if they aren't the same as mine - provides a discernable benefit. Being a disciple of science, as I am, makes sense to me. But believing in conspiracies? What does the believer get out of this? How does this help someone get through the day? Please help me understand.
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