90% of Americans believe at least one conspiracy theory (1 Viewer)

[Madmarsha]

I believe in 38 of them.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Less a conspiracy theory and more a failure of schooling
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Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 per cent thought the 12th Century English King Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 per cent thought World War II prime minister Winston Churchill was made up.

The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three per cent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington were also in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.……

Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Sailorsaint]

Less a conspiracy theory and more a failure of schooling
====================
Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 per cent thought the 12th Century English King Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 per cent thought World War II prime minister Winston Churchill was made up.

The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three per cent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington were also in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.……

Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

www.abc.net.au

So, the US isn’t the only country with idiots.

 

[DaveXA]

Less a conspiracy theory and more a failure of schooling
====================
Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 per cent thought the 12th Century English King Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 per cent thought World War II prime minister Winston Churchill was made up.

The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three per cent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington were also in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.……

Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

www.abc.net.au

Holy sheet. That's pretty terrible. When you have a large percentage of the population who can't tell myth from fact, you got issues. It's getting worse here in the US as well. Too many would rather believe a lie than accept the truth.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Holy sheet. That's pretty terrible. When you have a large percentage of the population who can't tell myth from fact, you got issues. It's getting worse here in the US as well. Too many would rather believe a lie than accept the truth.

Twain has dozens of truth v lie quips (or does he?!?)

The most accessible parts of our brain evolved (or did they?!?) for efficiency- a little bit of information spurring to action
Lies are effective bc they’re convenient

But conspiracies are a bit different- their appeal seems more dependent on how complicated they are and only certain people are able to parse the riddle

 

[Sun Wukong]

Holy sheet. That's pretty terrible. When you have a large percentage of the population who can't tell myth from fact, you got issues. It's getting worse here in the US as well. Too many would rather believe a lie than accept the truth.

The internet (and more specifically social media) allowed nonsense that never would have escaped poorly xeroxed newsletters being handed out on the street to travel the globe in seconds. It allowed for the creation of echo chambers on a scale we could have never previously imagined. It allowed for people who are very naive, ignorant, uneducated, or lack media literacy to be exposed to ideas they never would have otherwise been exposed to that they took at face value.

Were the pieces there, among the populace, all along? Probably. But the internet/social media was the secret ingredient to turn it into a legitimately dangerous widespread social ill.

 

[DaveXA]

Twain has dozens of truth v lie quips (or does he?!?)

The most accessible parts of our brain evolved (or did they?!?) for efficiency- a little bit of information spurring to action
Lies are effective bc they’re convenient

But conspiracies are a bit different- their appeal seems more dependent on how complicated they are and only certain people are able to parse the riddle

I think lies/conspiracies are often effective because they often contain partial truths. People use those truths to weave a larger lie.

 

[Sailorsaint]

I think lies/conspiracies are often effective because they often contain partial truths. People use those truths to weave a larger lie.

And throw in a little fear mongering just to spice it up a bit.

 

[jboss]

Twain has dozens of truth v lie quips (or does he?!?)

The most accessible parts of our brain evolved (or did they?!?) for efficiency- a little bit of information spurring to action
Lies are effective bc they’re convenient

But conspiracies are a bit different- their appeal seems more dependent on how complicated they are and only certain people are able to parse the riddle

Kind of a moot point since Mark Twain is a fictional character

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Kind of a moot point since Mark Twain is a fictional character

Very meta

 

[SystemShock]

Less a conspiracy theory and more a failure of schooling
====================
Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 per cent thought the 12th Century English King Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 per cent thought World War II prime minister Winston Churchill was made up.

The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three per cent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington were also in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.……

Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll which shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

www.abc.net.au

Well, billions of people can't tell fact from myth, so...

 

[Sailorsaint]

At least we can all agree that the earth is flat.....

 

[DaveXA]

At least we can all agree that the earth is flat.....

And that the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

 

[Sailorsaint]

 

[SamAndreas]

Kind of a moot point since Mark Twain is a fictional character

Oh no you don't. Mark Twain is the pen name of a real character.

Down in town at our court house there's a place where he once sat. I've sat in that same place.

I don't know where he sat, so I solved that problem by my sitting down everywhere one could have sat.

I've sat where he sat.