A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the psychological factors that cause people to accept conspiracy theories. Let’s follow up on that and ask, “Once someone buys into a conspiracy theory, why is it so hard for them to discard their belief in the theory?” Once accepted, the power of beliefs over a person is incredible, even when it becomes obvious to observers that the belief is literally destroying the holder’s psychological stability. The “Jonestown Massacre” occurred on November 18, 1978, when more than 900 members of an American cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide-murder under the direction of their leader Jim Jones. On March 26, 1997, San Diego County deputies discovered 39 dead bodies, active members of the religious group known as Heaven’s Gate. Their mass suicide coincided with the closest approach of the Hale-Bopp comet.
These two examples of mass suicides demonstrate the power of a belief, and how even an irrational belief can lead people to the ultimate self-destructive action. On a more everyday level, we can see the same self-sabotaging dynamics at work in those who allow their lives to be disrupted—and their psychological stability all but destroyed—by beliefs that have no basis in fact. Becky is a 36-year-old housewife who is convinced that a local restaurant is the center of a child-trafficking enterprise run by local politicians who are pedophiles. Her belief has brought a lot of stress into her life because her husband and many of her relatives, friends, and neighbors try to convince her that this belief is totally without evidence. Becky, however, supported by her small local group of “cult” adherents and ample online support, cannot be swayed.
Becky’s case sounds extreme, but what about Roger? He’s a 56-year-old construction worker who hates Arabs. He has co-workers whose family roots are from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. He hates every one of them and is convinced they are spies sent to destroy America. Like Becky, Roger tenaciously holds on to his belief even though he has no evidence to substantiate it. Unfortunately, Roger’s belief has put his job in jeopardy; he has been “written up” several times at work for refusing to work closely with the “Arabs,” and his boss has threatened to fire him. Then there’s the largest mass conspiracy belief in the history of the US: literally millions of Americans believe that Trump won the 2020 election—that somehow, Biden and his minions stole it. This belief persists even though—to date—no credible, objective, or corroborative evidence has been presented to support it. This belief has already sowed discord and destruction within the country.
Conspiracy theories disseminate conflict, aggression, and destruction. Why, then, is it so hard to get people to change their belief, even when the belief also defies logic, reality, and plain old common sense? Let’s take Becky’s case, and analyze it from a psychological perspective. She’s under a lot of pressure—psychologists would call it dissonance—because so many of her friends and family criticize her and challenge her belief. How could she reduce that dissonance? The simplest answer is, “Just admit you’re wrong, Becky, and discard your belief.” Bingo! Dissonance problem solved. Note, however, that from a psychological perspective, for Becky to admit she is wrong, she has to admit she has poor judgment; she has to admit she’s gullible and easy to influence; she has to admit she’s incapable of managing her own life and must rely on others to manage it for her; she has to admit the source for her belief is invalid. Folks, those are tough admissions because they are a threat to Becky’s self-esteem, to her confidence, to her very self-identity.
So, what is Becky to do? In her mind, the answer is simple: Take the easy road to reducing her dissonance by deciding, “I’m not the one who’s screwed up. It’s my family and all those other people who are involved in hiding the pedophiles who are behind this evil plot. I’ve got plenty of support from my online groups, and there’s no way all of them are wrong. The evil ones are all the perverts, all those disgusting degenerates my groups are trying to uncover.”
Here is a basic psychological fact for you: When you’re feeling pressure and stress from holding a belief, all things being equal, the last thing you will do to reduce that pressure and stress is change your belief. Doing so will be a huge threat to your self-image, so you hold on to that image by disparaging “the others.” You reduce your dissonance by attacking them, rather than critically analyzing the logic of your belief. Using the language of our coping model central to this blog: You accept only your version of reality; you refuse to be accountable for following that version; you are arrogant and condescending toward those who challenge you; you are insensitive and unempathetic toward all but your support group. This is a self-sabotaging path, and only when the pain and frustration from following it become too intense, might you then, possibly—with appropriate guidance and support—consider discarding your irrational beliefs. Yes, it sounds simple, but it’s not an easy path to take, and most people don’t have the fortitude to take it.