The Gullible Mind Explained: (and why conspiracy theorists are attacked.)

I found this article by Mike Adams (Natural News) rather interesting. It doesn't really present any new information, but I found it refreshing to see this subject addressed and analysed for once, and to see the gullible mind described as a 'psychological processing malfunction'.

Many here on ATS will already be very familiar with the characteristics described in the article!


Snip:

(NaturalNews) In light of the string of the blatant falsehoods being announced by the U.S. government these days (FDA, DHS, White House, etc.) it's interesting that so many people still believe whatever they are told by "official" sources. It brings up the question of the functioning of their brains: How could a person swallow official information so gullibly and so completely without even asking commonsense questions about the reliability or factual basis of that information?

These people, it turns out, are operating from what I called The Gullible Mind. It is a psychological processing malfunction that filters out information based on its source rather than its integrity. People who operate from The Gullible Mind tend to have misplaced trust in governments, institutions, mainstream news networks, doctors, scientists or anyone who wears the garb of apparent authority.

Whereas a normal, intelligent person would raise commonsense questions about information they receive from all sources, the Gullible Mind wholly accepts virtually any information from sources that occupy the role of apparent authority in society.


Governments never lie
But how does this work inside their heads? It's an interesting process. Gullible Mind people do believe it is possible for a government (or institution) to lie; but they believe that governments, institutions and doctors choose NOT to lie even when it would serve their own self interests to do so.

Follow this carefully, because this is the fascinating part. These Gullible Mind people effectively believe that even though a government official could lie about something, they would never actually do so. And why wouldn't they? Because, ultimately, the Gullible Mind crowd believes that governments, institutions and mainstream media outlets operate from a sort of honor code. So even if it were in the interests of our own government to lie to us, it would never happen because that would violate this imaginary honor code.

End snip

Full article: www.naturalnews.com...

They love to use words that labels you as crazy, so people just stop investigating.

kinda sad..

People are afraid..

Comfort zones.. ever heard about that?

Great Thread.

It isn't just being gullible. It's choosing to not worry or think about it too much because there's nothing you can do about it as an individual.

Originally posted by Schkeptick
It isn't just being gullible. It's choosing to not worry or think about it too much because there's nothing you can do about it as an individual.

Nothing you can do about it?

why are you saying that?

Facts are facts a conspiracy is the story that links the facts its that that can be so many different things, the conspiracy theorists are freelance detectives who connect the dots building the bigger picture using the facts as a foundation.

I wouldnt have it any other way

reply to post by wcitizen


And on the opposite side the "Narrow mind" refuses to acknowledge information that counters their belief, its a pyscological condition called Cognitive Dissonance.

I neither believe what officialdom tells me nor what a conspiracy theorist tells me. Instead I look for alternate sources of info, dig deeper into references, cross reference references and get a picture of what is happening. Logic is also applied. I NEVER EVER believe a reference that is a re-written interpretation of information ALWAYS go to the original source. The majority of conspiracy theories unfortunately start with an interpretation of somebody elses interpretation DUH!

For example : Jesus Christ existed NOT because the bible says so but because of alternate cross references from non christian sources. Some of those sources are often aggressively non christian so an evern stronger cross reference.

Now apply third party cross references to the issue that provoked this thread...........(Like I don't know!)

Originally posted by Weishaupt

Originally posted by Schkeptick
It isn't just being gullible. It's choosing to not worry or think about it too much because there's nothing you can do about it as an individual.

Nothing you can do about it?

why are you saying that?

I don't mean me specifically. In general, most people I know feel very helpless about the massive problems facing our government, our society. Our individual lives are so damned complicated we can barely get through them.
t
So they turn their eyes away, and worry about their own checkbooks, their own health, their own problems. And hope for the best.

People won't get truly concerned until the public problems intrude on a very real and personal basis. Even then - which massive problem to deal with first? There are so many! Where would I even start if someone made me Queen of America and gave me full power to do anything I wanted? (I'm being funny, not ignorant of US government, just so you know.)

It's too overwhelming to even worry about. So people check out. Besides... there's something new on the telly! And the iphone is ringing, and we have 32 new Mafia requests on facebook! And... whut were we talking about?

That is what I meant.

Even on here, you can can't get anyone to focus on one topic for ten seconds. They're busy worrying about Nibiru, or secret societies, or chemtrails... what is actually IMPORTANT? Who decides?

reply to post by wcitizen


So many still alive in this forum

The amount of friends that I have that are "Gullible Minds" is astounding. "The Government would never do that to us" they say... well, I'm sorry friends, they do it every day in most forms.

GM foods
HAARP
Financial crap

etc, etc, etc

...interesting article but i dont think gullibility is always the culprit or even the culprit most of the time...

...when a person's ego is based upon pro-government activities or governmental employment, sometimes that is what keeps them from questioning an obvious wrong... their ego says if their employer (or group) is wrong, then they're wrong too and they cant handle that...

lick my balls suck my nuts lick my balls suck my nuts.