Are conspiracy theories in the general population more prevalent than we assume?

Been thinking about this. When you tell someone a conspiracy theory and that person avoids involvement in the conversation. Happens a lot, at least to me. I sometimes wonder however, is that just a front? Does that person think you lost your mind or is there more to it?

I feel many people lead you to believe they don't subscribe to a certain viewpoint but deep inside they know there is something there. I think there are generally three kinds of skeptics. Those that truly disbelieve the theories, those who just don't care, and those who hide their true beliefs; The last of the three being the subject of this thread.

Maybe there is certain comfort in believing something but not vocalizing something. And you can tell these people apart from the rest. You can see something in their eyes when you tell them the moon landing was faked as they just smile at you and change the subject nonchalantly. And I respect this kind of person. Even though they won't necessarily agree or disagree with you, you somehow know that person acknowledges what you are saying.

I think that a lot of them suspect things are not what they are being told and have small amounts of facts to believe so .When you start to talk to them about any one thing they get overwhelmed with the excessive data and cant handle it .We on ATS have become accustomed to taking in large quantities of this data .You can only give teaspoons of it to other people and hope it perks their own desire to know more . a reply to: kushness

Not everybody is a Webster Tarpley....
The general feeling I get is similar...except there is one other class...those that know but live in extreme denial of the facts....they are usually doing alright financially and socially and don't want the guilt or the responsibility for their actions....

I believe there are more conspiracies in the general population than we assume.

I have to agree , that man is not only a vacuum cleaner but he can also turn into a machine when processing and putting relative context . Very seldom does he not have a good grip on whats really going on . a reply to: stirling

a reply to: kushness

Nah, your giving the general population way to much credit here.

The second your backs turned, the people you suspect agree with what your saying because they didn't dispute it to your face, are actually the most defiant deniers.

As soon as you walk away they'll be like, "did you here that crazy nut! The dude needs some serious help!!!".

Trust me, people are petty and love to bitch behind your back. It makes the feeble minded feel superior.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

It is almost like there are two people inside them.

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I concur. That's exactly what happens when I try to talk about 'weird' stuff with anyone who isn't into it already. Even those who are into it sometimes seem overwhelmed. And that is why ATS is my favorite site

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

haters gonna hate--they always do
jealousy has many faces.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I agree - this is actually the most common reaction I myself get.

a reply to: kushness

I think for most people they just don't deal with the fact that they are being lied to and screwed over all the time in so many different ways. At the end of the day, you can't really blame them. What does our sitting here discussing conspiracy theories really do to change anything? Not much other than the peace of mind that at least someone else out there notices the things that don't seem right.

Again though, whether you choose to participate in discussing the happenings of the world around you or not...it's basically going to treat you in much the same way.

a reply to: kushness

There are conspiracies afoot everywhere. Governments using loopholes to screw over their citizens, companies using loopholes to screw over their customers without them ever having redress...

The number of these simple conspiracies, those which effect huge numbers of people, are actual things which are provably true, but are enacted by bodies so powerful, and supported by companies so rich, that nothing will ever be done to properly and permanently rectify the law which allows them to occur.

The best the people can hope for if they fall foul of them, is that they can find enough other people affected by the same issue, to lump together and campaign in the streets, take action, get a lawyer as a group, and fight it in court, and we all know how even handed courts can be, when the citizenry challenge the government, or a big company, right?

But so much less attention is paid to these, than things like the Moon Landing issue, in places like this, and other places on the web discussing conspiracy as a subject, and the reason is that they just are not sensational enough. We should be getting angry about the "small conspiracies", the ones which have immediate and long lasting effects on demographics, but because there is no Hollywood factor, many people just fail to be interested in them.

It is the way of the human mind in this era, to focus on the shiniest thing in the room, rather than the most useful and utilitarian. A blade painted black however, may be sharper than one which is polished to a high sheen, and so it is wise to make time for these lesser conspiracies.

originally posted by: stirling
except there is one other class...those that know but live in extreme denial of the facts....they are usually doing alright financially and socially and don't want the guilt or the responsibility for their actions....

Ah yes I forgot about these people. An example would be your typical Hollywood and Wall Street successes.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Agreed. These smaller conspiracies are the ones that actually exist and matter most but are sort of taboo when spoken about openly. I only brought up the moon landings as an extreme example.

a reply to: kushness

I gathered as much, but you could have said anything, Bigfoot, Ancient Aliens, Illuminati issues, and my response would have been largely the same.

The point is that big ticket, high intrigue cases are simply, to borrow a phrase from the entertainment industry, sexier than the sort of conspiracies which operate in the gears and crankshafts of politics, society, and the infrastructures which support them. I think it is fair to say also, that although there are many of these big conspiracies which need to be resolved, the reality is that it is the underhanded nature of some of the lesser conspiracies which has the most effect on citizens of nations around the world, and therefore, it is those which are responsible for the greatest amount of suffering, negativity, and lack of progress in this world.

I am all for an opening up of the whole UFO situation to the public, a total declassification of any and all reports of alien contact, inexplicable flying objects, odd phenomena, and anything else related to the strange and mysterious contained within a government vault. I think also that the governments of many nations including my own, keep things secret to avoid embarrassment on more occasions than they do to protect intelligence assets and promote national security.

However, it is the nuts and bolts, the deft and ruthless, and near invisible tricks played upon us, that need most to be bought into the light, so that all may bear witness to the cold indifference of the few, toward the many who fall under their power.

a reply to: kushness

Are conspiracies in the general population of governments more prevalent than we assume?

a reply to: stirling

No you are alone we all come here to read stuff we are interested in but............no one else is.
Me and my circle of friends sit and talk about ats type stuff but the general public is clueless an dont care.