Download Suspicious Minds : Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories in DOC, EPUB, DJV
9781472915610 English 1472915615 'A first class book' Sunday Times We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists do not wear tin-foil hats (for the most part). They are not just a few kooks lurking on the paranoid fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens running society in secret. They walk among us. They are us.Everyone loves a good conspiracy. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention. And they are not always a harmless curiosity. In Suspicious Minds , Rob Brotherton explores the history and consequences of conspiracism, and delves into the research that offers insights into why so many of us are drawn to implausible, unproven and unproveable conspiracy theories. They resonate with some of our brain's built-in quirks and foibles, and tap into some of our deepest desires, fears, and assumptions about the world.The fascinating and often surprising psychology of conspiracy theories tells us a lot - not just why we are drawn to theories about sinister schemes, but about how our minds are wired and, indeed, why we believe anything at all. Conspiracy theories are not some psychological aberration - they're a predictable product of how brains work. This book will tell you why, and what it means. Of course, just because your brain's biased doesn't always mean you're wrong. Sometimes conspiracies are real. Sometimes, paranoia is prudent., Conspiracy theorists (for the most part) do not wear tin-foil hats. They are not limited to a few deluded loners on the fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens. They walk among us: They are us. Mainstream fiction is rife with conspiratorial plots, and surprising numbers of people believe that the kinds of vast, insidious conspiracies that Mulder and Scully routinely unearthed in The X-Files are happening right now in the real world. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention, and they can have tangible consequences for us all, from discouraging parents against vaccinating their children against deadly diseases to influencing political policies regarding climate change.The psychology of our beliefs in conspiracy theories has only recently begun to be explored. Exciting new research offers surprising insights into why so many people believe implausible, unverified and often unverifiable conspiracy theories, producing fascinating and often surprising insights into the psychology of belief. Conspiracy theorising is not limited to the paranoid fringe; it is a much more universal pastime than scholars initially realised. Believers are as likely to be women as men, college students as underprivileged youths, middle class parents as blue-collar workers. This is due in part to personality traits such as open-mindedness, trustfulness, and paranoia, psychological drives such as the desire for excitement, control, and the possession of privileged knowledge.This brilliant book by Robert Brotherton explores the phenomenon, from the prevalence and consequences of conspiracy theories to the latest psychological research into why so many people buy into their claims. Brought to life through anecdotes, historical asides and thought experiments, the book shows that conspiracism is much more widespread and more consequential than most people assume.We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others., Decoding the psychology of believing in conspiracy theories. We're all conspiracy theorists--some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists aren't just a handful of people who wear tinfoil hats and have bizarre ideas about shapeshifting reptilian aliens. Conspiracy theories are as likely to appeal to women as to men, college students as to retired professors, middleclass bloggers as to bluecollar workers. Psychological research sheds light on why some people are more drawn to conspiracy thinking, especially when they feel discontented, distrustful, and desire privileged knowledge. But ultimately we are all naturalborn conspiracy theorists. Our brains are wired to see patterns and to weave unrelated data points into complex stories. We instinctively see events in the world in terms of human motives and intentions, leading us to discount the role of chance and unintended consequences, and we look for some hidden hand behind catastrophic events. These psychological quirks can lead us to suspect a conspiracy where none exists. Conspiracy theories have existed throughout history, from ancient Athens and Rome to present day theories about 9/11 and who shot JFK. Suspicious Minds explores the phenomenon and reveals the important consequences conspiracy theories can have--from discouraging parents from vaccinating their children against deadly diseases to hampering political policies to combat climate change., We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists do not wear tin-foil hats (for the most part). They are not just a few kooks lurking on the paranoid fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens running society in secret. They walk among us. They are us.Everyone loves a good conspiracy. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention. And they are not always a harmless curiosity. In Suspicious Minds , Rob Brotherton explores the history and consequences of conspiracism, and delves into the research that offers insights into why so many of us are drawn to implausible, unproven and unproveable conspiracy theories. They resonate with some of our brain's built-in quirks and foibles, and tap into some of our deepest desires, fears, and assumptions about the world.The fascinating and often surprising psychology of conspiracy theories tells us a lot - not just why we are drawn to theories about sinister schemes, but about how our minds are wired and, indeed, why we believe anything at all. Conspiracy theories are not some psychological aberration - they're a predictable product of how brains work. This book will tell you why, and what it means. Of course, just because your brain's biased doesn't always mean you're wrong. Sometimes conspiracies are real. Sometimes, paranoia is prudent.
9781472915610 English 1472915615 'A first class book' Sunday Times We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists do not wear tin-foil hats (for the most part). They are not just a few kooks lurking on the paranoid fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens running society in secret. They walk among us. They are us.Everyone loves a good conspiracy. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention. And they are not always a harmless curiosity. In Suspicious Minds , Rob Brotherton explores the history and consequences of conspiracism, and delves into the research that offers insights into why so many of us are drawn to implausible, unproven and unproveable conspiracy theories. They resonate with some of our brain's built-in quirks and foibles, and tap into some of our deepest desires, fears, and assumptions about the world.The fascinating and often surprising psychology of conspiracy theories tells us a lot - not just why we are drawn to theories about sinister schemes, but about how our minds are wired and, indeed, why we believe anything at all. Conspiracy theories are not some psychological aberration - they're a predictable product of how brains work. This book will tell you why, and what it means. Of course, just because your brain's biased doesn't always mean you're wrong. Sometimes conspiracies are real. Sometimes, paranoia is prudent., Conspiracy theorists (for the most part) do not wear tin-foil hats. They are not limited to a few deluded loners on the fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens. They walk among us: They are us. Mainstream fiction is rife with conspiratorial plots, and surprising numbers of people believe that the kinds of vast, insidious conspiracies that Mulder and Scully routinely unearthed in The X-Files are happening right now in the real world. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention, and they can have tangible consequences for us all, from discouraging parents against vaccinating their children against deadly diseases to influencing political policies regarding climate change.The psychology of our beliefs in conspiracy theories has only recently begun to be explored. Exciting new research offers surprising insights into why so many people believe implausible, unverified and often unverifiable conspiracy theories, producing fascinating and often surprising insights into the psychology of belief. Conspiracy theorising is not limited to the paranoid fringe; it is a much more universal pastime than scholars initially realised. Believers are as likely to be women as men, college students as underprivileged youths, middle class parents as blue-collar workers. This is due in part to personality traits such as open-mindedness, trustfulness, and paranoia, psychological drives such as the desire for excitement, control, and the possession of privileged knowledge.This brilliant book by Robert Brotherton explores the phenomenon, from the prevalence and consequences of conspiracy theories to the latest psychological research into why so many people buy into their claims. Brought to life through anecdotes, historical asides and thought experiments, the book shows that conspiracism is much more widespread and more consequential than most people assume.We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others., Decoding the psychology of believing in conspiracy theories. We're all conspiracy theorists--some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists aren't just a handful of people who wear tinfoil hats and have bizarre ideas about shapeshifting reptilian aliens. Conspiracy theories are as likely to appeal to women as to men, college students as to retired professors, middleclass bloggers as to bluecollar workers. Psychological research sheds light on why some people are more drawn to conspiracy thinking, especially when they feel discontented, distrustful, and desire privileged knowledge. But ultimately we are all naturalborn conspiracy theorists. Our brains are wired to see patterns and to weave unrelated data points into complex stories. We instinctively see events in the world in terms of human motives and intentions, leading us to discount the role of chance and unintended consequences, and we look for some hidden hand behind catastrophic events. These psychological quirks can lead us to suspect a conspiracy where none exists. Conspiracy theories have existed throughout history, from ancient Athens and Rome to present day theories about 9/11 and who shot JFK. Suspicious Minds explores the phenomenon and reveals the important consequences conspiracy theories can have--from discouraging parents from vaccinating their children against deadly diseases to hampering political policies to combat climate change., We're all conspiracy theorists. Some of us just hide it better than others. Conspiracy theorists do not wear tin-foil hats (for the most part). They are not just a few kooks lurking on the paranoid fringes of society with bizarre ideas about shape-shifting reptilian aliens running society in secret. They walk among us. They are us.Everyone loves a good conspiracy. Yet conspiracy theories are not a recent invention. And they are not always a harmless curiosity. In Suspicious Minds , Rob Brotherton explores the history and consequences of conspiracism, and delves into the research that offers insights into why so many of us are drawn to implausible, unproven and unproveable conspiracy theories. They resonate with some of our brain's built-in quirks and foibles, and tap into some of our deepest desires, fears, and assumptions about the world.The fascinating and often surprising psychology of conspiracy theories tells us a lot - not just why we are drawn to theories about sinister schemes, but about how our minds are wired and, indeed, why we believe anything at all. Conspiracy theories are not some psychological aberration - they're a predictable product of how brains work. This book will tell you why, and what it means. Of course, just because your brain's biased doesn't always mean you're wrong. Sometimes conspiracies are real. Sometimes, paranoia is prudent.