I have noticed that alot of people think the majority of people are stupid based on the things they read online or maybe even experience in real life but I think that there is better explanation than just assuming people are stupid.
A common example people bring up to show that other people are stupid is mentioning how a lot of people believe in conspiracy theories ( such as Qanon or Flat earth) and point out how they are objectively false therefore the people that believe it are stupid.
However when you examine these beliefs in more depth there is obviously some amount of internal logic that is used to justify these beliefs to themselves and others in the group.
You can go to flat earthers forum and they can give huge amounts of “evidence” about how light shouldn’t be visible after 50 kms if the earth was round or how in Qanon there are probably people who have whole boards detailed with connections between how and where democrats participate in satanic rituals but my point is that all conspiracy theories tend to form one cohesive narrative like a collective story that are building.
To be able to make a story that is this detailed it definitely required some amount of forethought and reasoning to make it so everyone in the group reaches the same collective understanding.
This then might lead you to ask why are people susceptible to these ideas and what makes them stick. Well I think that it boils down to three different things.
- Our collective feeling that things aren’t going well
- Our general distrust in current authorities
- Our collective belief that an authority is good/necessary
When you look at how people tend to be influenced into accepting these beliefs it also follows this same general pattern.
- People feel that some part of their life isn’t going well and that current institutions aren’t helping them anymore.
- A guru/influencer shows up and offers advice (sometimes good advice) to fix their problem
- People then start trusting these gurus/influencers and seeing them as authorities
- Finally these people take what these gurus/influencers say at face value and build internal lore for their community that makes sense to them given that they accept what the new authority says as fact.
If you want to tackle the root of what makes people susceptible to these ideas you have to tackle those three things or else people will fall into those same traps just with different authorities saying different things.
Also as a semi-related point there are a million and one things that an individual can choose to focus on and become knowledgable about so whilst some people spend that mental capacity on understanding tech or politics others spend that mental capacity on flat earth theory or UFOs.
Main point:
So all of this is to say I think that people aren’t stupid and that we should not treat them as they are such instead if we understand that they are capable of complex reason but they are starting with different base knowledge it’ll be easier to empathize with others. Also if we want society to be less susceptible to this we need to fix one or all of the three things I mentioned that makes us susceptible.
Sorry that happened to you. You might be interested in the QAnon Anonymous podcast. They tracked the phenomenon when it was active and continue to track and study contemporary conspiratorial movements. I understand a lot of people in your situation email them to say that they better understand what happened to their loved ones from listening to their show. Or, maybe that’s not appealing for you because of the same reasons. Anyway, I like it and think they do a great job. It’s entertaining as hell if sometimes a little horrifying.
I’m glad it’s helpful to you to listen to it. I learned about the cult when family members started acting “funny,” watched some documentaries, probably listened to that podcast, and read up on the phenomenon. Now, over 2 years later, I’m what you might call “over it.” At some point I just accepted the loss of those people and moved on. Everyone’s experience with this is unique because, if you have to eliminate them from your life, it’s like they died, so it’s a grieving process that’s complex because it’s “like they died” but they’re very much still alive. I’ve gone through that and come out the other side. The topic here, about whether or not they are “stupid,” is interesting, but it’s an exercise in navel gazing. If some deranged person who has become absorbed by a cult starts being abusive to you it’s up to you to get out of that situation, hopefully with help from supportive friends and family. At that point, it’s not healthy to stick with them and keep listening to their delusions. These people can be dangerous on rare occasions and I think a few news headlines speak for themselves. To ponder their level of intelligence, to me, does not seem to be productive or practical. It’s interesting as an academic exercise, but it doesn’t add much to people’s every day struggles with this social problem. There’s also the factor of looking at colloquial language for what it is. When I make a mistake, I call myself “stupid.” Am I referring to my IQ? No.
I’m so sorry that this happened to you, once again. This is something that I think I’ve heard others say and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’ve said many times that I’m grateful that neither of my parents were on facebook during the lockdowns, thus sparing me. I wish you all the best.