Skeptic Project

I KNOW ALL THE SECRETS TO THE WORLD AND FOR A SMALL FEE I'LL SHARE THEM WITH YOU! DUNNING SAYS I'M NOT INSANE AND HE'S RIGHT! I HAVE A JOB I WORK AND I KNOW ALL THE SECRETS TO THE WORLD JUST GIVE ME SOME MONEY AND I'LL TELL YOU. I LIVE MY LIFE BY EATING RAW FOODS, AND I EAT MY OWN FECES NOW THANKS TO NEW TECHNOLOGY!

I CAN MAKE MY POOP LOOK LIKE CUCUMBERS EXCEPT BROWN AND FOR A SMALL FEE I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TOO (PESTICIDE FREE)! DUNNING SAYS I'M NOT INSANE BECAUSE I LIVE A NORMAL LIFE I MERELY HAVE A INNER CTER IN ME LIKE EVERYBODY DOES! DUNNING IS THE BIGGEST SKEPTIC ON THE NET YOU MUST BELIEVE HIM!

DAVID ICKE IS NOT INSANE FOR BELIEVING IN REPTILIANS AND TRYING TO PASS HIS BELIEF OFF TO OTHERS CAUSE DUNNING SAYS SO!

???

Yeah it was armchair pop psychology at its worst.

Well I haven't listened to it yet so he may he as silly as you say, but I'd say the CT mindset comes from the same place as the religious mindset. We evolved a religious propensity probably because it helps with community/society. Doesn't really apply now and ironically with CT's its sort of alienating rather than bringing people together...

Anyway I'll try and find it....

The CT mindset is completely different to the fight or flight mindset.

Fight or flight is not simply paranoia and joining dots that dont exist like CT'rs do.

This is a completely innacurate analysis.

Fight or flight mechanisms are the function of previous experiences either personal or group experiences with dangerous situations that are life threatening, and can kill a person right there on the spot. This is a safety mechanism that makes the person precautious and observant to maintain life and prevent death or injury.

The Conspiratorial mindset is actually something completely different because Conspiracy theories are not exactly directly life threatening to individuals in a way that fight or flight against a tiger or an oncoming whirlwind etc are.

The CT mindset is something more along the lines of pattern recognition and belief systems that more likely increases endorphine/dopamine for memory retaining and giving value to experiences, as opposed to a mechanism that creates an adrenalin increase and hightened awareness, quickened reactions.

From my experience arguing with CTs they are no more insane than religious people, some are worse than others just like the religious. I really don't see what the difference is. Some can believe some really crazy stuff and still seem more sane than you would imagine so long as they aren't talking about the subject of CT's, like David Icke. Some religious people let it influence more of their daily life than others, same with CTs, which makes them seem more insane. Some CTs really are insane, like some religious people. The common thread between the common religious person and the common CTer is that they are very critical and rational about all kinds of subjects EXCEPT when it comes to their belief in religion, CTs or whatever it is.

This is really why I think the "atheist" community on youtube need to deal more with skepticism and rationality in general rather than just religion. Its the mindset that leads people to religion, but people can be atheist (as Zeitgeist shows) while still being just as irrational about another topic. I've heard religious people that turned atheist because of Zeitgeist, which is a terrible reason to be an atheist and probably why those same people went on to believe in CT's because they just believe whatever it is uncritically. Its in this sence I agree with Dunning, but I don't think I would have expressed it in the same wording as he used.

Ill have to take a look at that part again!

EDIT: Ok I see what you mean, I think its an interesting theory which if true would mean CT mentality stems from a slightly different place than religion. IE. CT thinking would come from being paranoid that may have had a benefit at some point compared to religion that would have had a benefit of bringing people together. I think its an interesting idea, but wouldn't assert it as fact like Dunning writes it as, especially when he says things like this, right after talking about David Icke:

"Thus we conclude that it's probably just a group of businesspeople doing what they have to do. We all fall somewhere along that spectrum, and all perspectives are the result of our brains properly doing their job."

I think him saying things like this makes far too much of an excuse for the stupid thinking CTs have. I agree it is pretty poor to base his essay off this.