CRITICAL THINKING

Conspiracy Delusions are Killing Us

People and nations must face reality, and reject false narratives, if they want to make effective decisions about their future

False conspiracy beliefs increase cynicism — and paradoxically make meaningful reforms more difficult. When people believe secret nefarious forces are in control, public trust drops and rejection of authority soars. This leads to feelings of a “need for chaos” and desire to “burn it all down.”

Conspiracy theories often change history as much as real events. Because to those who believe in them, they are real events. People react…