It is my casual observation, not that I have done any kind of study on this, that people are more likely now to believe in things that are not true. I could be wrong because maybe people have always believed in untrue things, but it feels like now we are in an epidemic of delusional thinking. I have a few theories about why this is, which I will get to below.
I am not going to get much into specifics, because there is a wide range of opinions about what is true. However, the pandemic seemed to bring out the craziness in some people. Regarding the pandemic, I hear questionable claims, if not outright lies frequently.
If we want to know the truth, we have to try very hard to remain objective. There is a difference between opinion and fact, and likewise a difference between anecdotal evidence and fact. Whenever possible, I try to find the relevant scientific studies, which are often available on the Internet. I am more likely to find articles talking about scientific studies, and sometimes these contain links to the actual studies, but if not, usually the studies can be found with a Google search.
I think that most people have a need to feel special. A person could be a fireman and that would be something that makes that person special. For this reason, I think that people get very emotionally tied to their belief systems because those beliefs help make people who they are. Then we get into confirmation bias, where people have a natural tendency to accept things as true that already agree with their opinion. Therefore, it is very hard to change someone's opinion because their belief is closely tied to their identity.
Social media may have hindered normal human social interaction, which tends to naturally correct aberrant behavior and thought. People interact less than they did before in person, and more online. If you have weird beliefs, you can find plenty of people on the Internet who agree with you and support your way of thinking.
Some social media places like Twitter seem inherently toxic with many bad actors on those platforms.
Having a worldwide existential threat puts a strain on people's ability to think rationally. There is a strong tendency to demonize other people, which is worse now than it has ever been in my lifetime. People on all sides are calling for the imprisonment of their political enemies, if not threats of violence and murder. This is where people need to step back and try to have some perspective. Things may be difficult now, but we have it far better than the generations that came before us.
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Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
