Over 75% of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theorists Have These 17 Traits in Common
Since March 2020, I’ve seen a lot of COVID-19 deniers who have posted misleading and dangerous information to “prove their point” because they “know something we don’t”. This “knowledge” ranges from knowing that doctors all around the world are padding case numbers for financial gain through to Bill Gates releasing the virus so he could create a vaccine that has Nanobots in it. These Nanobots will then control us all.
General conspiracy theorists (CTs for short) have ramped up their rhetoric since the worldwide lockdown. While they were always annoying persistent about vaccines and 9/11 before, they seem to publish “new insights” many times daily and express anger to the point of losing friends over their extreme viewpoints in 2020.
I wondered what the common threads were amongst this group of people. So, I did what I do with everything and over-analyzed the situation. 😂
Why were they so sure of their “truth” and why had COVID exasperated their need to tell the vast majority of people, they are the secret sauce of humanity?
The Statistics
I looked at the Facebook and Instagram profiles of 1,112 people who believe COVID is fake. Here are my findings:
86.2% expressed boredom in their lives.
81.4% expressed having anxiety or depression.
96.8% are outwardly unhealthy.
80.4% have negative body issues.
84.9% work “Joe” jobs.
83.0% are single.
78.1% are gamers.
88.7% did not post conspiracies 5 years ago.
99.0% subscribe to many other conspiracies.
81.0% refuse to believe official sources.
76.2% wrote stronger views once BLM ramped.
77.0% of men with kids are not with the mom.
92.6% of women with kids are not with the dad.
97.8% support Trump.
97.7% hate Trudeau.
99.1% have made predictions that didn’t come true.
99.8% use flaws to prove a narrative but won’t admit to the flaws in theirs.
I did this because I was curious whether or not my initial hypothesis was correct.
Based on the above statistics, most conspiracy theorists are bored out of their minds, resentful, contribute little to society in any big way regularly, and they get trapped in fantasy; a place where they feel a slight sense of validation.
Those who fell in the top 90% shared 3 characteristics:
A belief in QAnon theories.
Blaming Antifa and George Soros for the “fake” terrorist movement of BLM.
An unwavering commitment to right-wing or left-wing ideology even if it is counter-intuitive to their lives.
Tribalism & Cults
I remember being a kid and my parents worrying that hip hop music would distort my reality.
Looking back, it did.
Little white suburban punks (like I was) created issues just to be hard so we could live out the fantasies of being a gangsta. 🤦🏻♂️ It wasn’t until I matured that I realized how stupid I was being and left the cult of white suburban punks headed to jail for silly crimes because they emulated that lifestyle. I can trace the decline of several friends to their increased consumption of hip hop music.
Now, I still love hip hop. A good thick baseline with well-worded commentary gets me going. But, I also recognize what hip hop is to many. A young frustrated kid listens to a gangsta enough, he’ll start to act like a gangsta. Our primate brains are just that malleable. The cult of hip hop gave birth to a cult of kids getting in trouble. Was it the most impressionable of kids? Absolutely. Are there enough impressionable kids to be concerned? Without a doubt.
Similarly, I believe there is a cult-like element to conspiracies.
All the same emotional and psychological elements that allow cult leaders to recruit people into their off-the-wall sects are present in global conspiracy theorists. It’s just a digital cult, so the organizational structure is different.
Validation & Mental Health
So, I’ll continue to post information, but I will switch up my approach when someone spouts off about conspiracies that don’t follow any line of logic or have any supportive facts, and don’t take the full context of an issue under consideration.
CTs need help, just like someone who physically joins a cult and moves onto the farm. So, my response to their ramblings will now be, “You need help.”
There is 0 chance you will change a conspiracy theorist’s mind, so stop trying. Literally, right now, stop replying or trying to present reasonable arguments.
IT’S A WASTE OF YOUR LIFE!
They get validation when you do, and that leads to them sinking further into the quicksand.
So, join me in removing one element of their cult mentality and destroying their validation. Reply like me.
But Wait … Don’t Dismiss Conspiracy Theories Immediately
All of this doesn’t mean you should dismiss critical thinking. If someone presents information with logic, evidence from a valid source, and full context you should listen (even if it goes against your ideology).
Throughout history, there have been many conspiracies that have been proven legitimate. But, just like most things in this world, the truth is actually rather boring.
Conspiracy theories generally latch onto the sensational but leave out context that provides some grounding for the idea. Most ill-fated projects were simply misunderstood by those who conducted them. That’s the beauty of science and medicine; the hypothesis evolves and continually improves.
9/11 is an outstanding example of this. It is very clear that there were multiple explosions throughout the towers before they fell. CTs will say that this proves 9/11 was an inside job, whereas a rational person knows there are dozens of more plausible explanations for these plumes. But explanations like the terrorists planted bombs in the building days before or the jet fuel ignited electrical lines and other flammable elements to create explosions just aren’t as sexy as Satan possessed George W Bush.
So, if a CT confronts you with some wild story that seems to be backed by a credible source, don’t dismiss it. Do your research. Chances are you’ll find the answers that can calm your nerves.
The Grass is Greener
If the above stats prove anything, it’s that being tribal is what got us into this mess. Vaccine hate, theories that duplicate like TV, radio, 3G, 4G, wifi, 5G bullshit, Bill Gates hate, COVID is fake because of hindsight, and many others aren’t going away anytime soon. But we, the rational thinkers of this world, must understand where these theories come from and allow ourselves to walk away from them, pulling the air in the room with us.
I honestly believe being a rabid conspiracy theorist is a new type of mental condition, and I hope that those I legitimately like stop suffering soon.
Just like with any sickness, these CTs must address the issues in their lives that drive these types of ideologies.
Statistically, it’s quite easy to do so:
86.2% need to get motivated and add excitement to their lives.
81.4% need to see a doctor or shrink to help with their conditions.
96.8% need to eat better, supplement and exercise.
80.4% must let go of their excuses.
84.9% should remove themselves from their negativity by either finding another job or a passionate hobby/side hustle.
83.0% should look at why they’re single and improve.
78.1% must get out of the house more and engage in the real.
88.7% need to turn off the internet from time-to-time.
99.0% must learn how to do proper research if they’re going to have a voice.
81.0% need to understand concepts like media biases and evolution of concept more.
76.2% have to stop with loose associations to confirm their bias. What does it do for you?
77.0% of men need to have a better life plan and be more critical of their partners.
92.6% of women need to have a better life plan and be more critical of their partners.
97.8% need to stop pretending politicians are perfect and drop the identity-politics game.
97.7% need to stop pretending politicians are perfect and drop the identity-politics game.
99.1% need to check themselves on their past comments and be willing to accept that change is needed.
99.8% need to stop being assholes.
The grass is greener, and the sun is brighter on this side of the fence.
