Friday, June 14, 2013

Not all Conspiracy Theorists are Conspiracy Theorists

This may odd by what I'm about about to say here, but not all conspiracy theorists are conspiracy theorists.

At least they're not all true conspiracy theorists per say...

When I think of a conspiracy theorist, I think about a person who not only believes in conspiracy theories, but also refuses to, and out right rejects any evidence that contradicts a conspiracy theory. In time this rejection of the evidence for what they consider "the truth" can lead them down a dark path, one in which causes them to think irrationally and illogically, and become hostile towards those who do not believe them, which can ultimately end up affecting their lives in a negative manner, and causes them to surround themselves with people who think like them.

This is what I typically think of when I think of a conspiracy theorist, due to the result of past encounters with actually conspiracy theorists on the internet. The problem with this is that not all of them are like this.

Not all people who believe in certain conspiracy theories are irrational and hostile people who reject evidence debunking the conspiracy theory they believe in. They might continue to believe in the conspiracy theory regardless of the evidence, but at least they don't out right reject the evidence without reason. Also, the belief in these conspiracy theories does not effect their lives in a negative manner, and they don't try to push their theories onto others (which is also something that conspiracy theorists tend to do), and they don't hang out with other people wo also believe what they believe.

This is why I believe a different term should be used for these people, and not the general term "conspiracy theorist" because, lets all face it, the term "conspiracy theorist" has become a pretty negative term as of late, and I also believe the term is inaccurate for some people as well.

I believe the term that should be used instead for such people should be called "conspiracy believer".

"Conspiracy believer" should be used to describe someone who simply believes in a conspiracy theory, rather than "conspiracy theorist" because not only would it be a more accurate term, as a such a person simply believes in conspiracy theory, rather than taking the time to try to promote, explain, and expand on said "theory" as a real conspiracy theorist would try to do, it's a far less negative term as well since telling a person you are not a conspiracy theorist but a conspiracy believer might not make a person look at you like you are some kind of nut who might go off on them if they tell you that they don't believe in the conspiracy theories you believe are real, or at least possible.

In fact I believe that most people in general who believe in conspiracy theories are actually conspiracy believers rather than true conspiracy theorists.

Also, many skeptics who once believed in some conspiracy theories (myself included) might have been just a conspiracy believer, rather than a conspiracy theorist (although I do know of some that were true conspiracy theorists).

The fact remains is that we shouldn't use the term "conspiracy theorist" for everyone that believes in a conspiracy theory, because not everyone believes a conspiracy theory is a conspiracy theorist, and while believing in a conspiracy theory is not something that's good, it doesn't mean that the person who believes in it is bad (or crazy).

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