gjm comments on What causes people to believe in conspiracy theories? - Less Wrong

7 Post author: Servant 07 May 2011 12:06AM

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Comment author: gjm 07 May 2011 08:35:16PM 5 points [-]

What's distinctive about "conspiracy theories" is generally not so much the alleged conspiracy to do whatever-it-is but the conspiracy to hide their having done it. And, usually, the fact that it would have to be an exceptionally effective conspiracy, because keeping such things secret is often difficult.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 07 May 2011 09:20:30PM 2 points [-]

And, related to this, the epistemic pattern whereby anyone who ought to know the facts of the situation and claims my theory is false must therefore be part of the conspiracy.