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user_dan t1_jcaz9yr wrote

Reply to comment by Professionalarsonist in Twitter conspiracy theories during the pandemic involving Bill Gates. The study found what is most concerning is the speed and rapid spread of bot use to unforeseen areas. Researchers are just beginning to get a glimpse of issues and concerns that will result from this technology by Wagamaga

The magical or hierarchical thinker is very aware how their opinion is not accepted by the mainstream. It is a strategy to open with some kind of "I just have questions" statement to test the waters. If it fails, they pull back. If is is accepted, they open up a little more and repeat. Once they think you are "cool", they will dump their real opinion. The real opinion is usually very extreme.

Although you may think the conspiracy is crazy or your cousin is "aggressively uneducated", he is demonstrating quite a bit of executive function and planning. This is not crazy person behavior. It is predictable. It makes them great targets for political messaging and advertising campaigns.

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someelephantsforget t1_jcc1woy wrote

I think in there would be the difference. I agree that they're not necessarily stupid or anything but, as im sure you're well aware, a good part of higher education is about comparing, contrasting, critiquing sources of information and compiling that into something to be marked by someone who has shown a sufficient skill in being able to to that aswell.

So, in general terms and not necessarily OPs cousin, I think uneducated is part of it and it does seem to the a recurring theme in the conspiracy type. I think it has to come with being at least just smart enough to be dangerous, often smarter, but also a with kind of arrogance and narcissism to convince themselves they know better about all these very in-depth subjects than virtually all the experts.

Although, some of them full on know its not true. The trouble is, theyre too far into the "big lie" now. So much of their personality is caught up in it, they could never back down, no matter what.

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gabbertr0n t1_jcf42fr wrote

I’m interested in this term ‘hierarchical thinking’ and I see you paired it with magical thinking - I’m keen to understand these terms more, in relation to the conspiracy theorists we are discussing - if you would be so kind to explain, thank you.

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