How long will it take until you realise you were wrong?

To the the OP:- You will find that most MSM and even most internet debate fora, actually suit your beliefs better. This is ATS and is centerd around conspiracy and conspiracy theory. It's admirable that you, out of the kindness of your heart have tried to help us benefit from what I'm sure you declare to be your 'voice of reason', but I think you're probably wasting your time, and frankly just in the wrong place.

There's an awful lot wrong with the world and your charity could be put to better use elsewhere. Being deluded isn't that big of a deal - is it?

reply to post by wedidgothacked


Very good! I'd say everybody has their own philosophy based on their personality and experiences. But it remains just a philosophy which shouldn't be dismissed just because it doesn't seem true. It should only be dismissed if you have found proof that it is false or ineffective.

Man am I smart...

Originally posted by Jepic
reply to post by wedidgothacked

 

Man am I smart...

my thinking exactly woop

Originally posted by Chadwickus
So at what point will you finally go..."holy crap I was wrong"?
Never?
So, when will you say...."I was wrong?"
Or..how long until you stop saying "I'm right"?

Judging from the responses thus far, I think it is pretty clear what the answer to your question is. Even once proved wrong, most people (especially in an online forum while in hiding behind an avatar), will NEVER admit that they were wrong.

Even if the proof is 100% undeniable, just change the original thought a little bit.
Re-word it; Change a few details; Get rid of this angle and bring in a new one; Mix it all up, and call it a brand new theory without ever actually stating that previous theory was invalid.

Also, this is the brilliant part about conspiracies-
There are always un-named faces behind it all, so no matter what the proof is, there will always be an excuse that others will be able to conjure up and use to deny the proof.

If we were in an existence, where we knew everything that there was to know, life would be quite dull and boring.

I am not a natural-born skeptic. I will accept anything that sounds plausible and work with it until I determine if it has merit. Some of my favorite theories I will make postulates about their veracity and maybe work with them for years. That I sometimes choose to discuss these with people as a sounding-board I'm sure I convince some of them I'm nutz for even considering such things but that gives me a clue about their willingness to be flexible. I will walk away from some theories after a time if they don't prove fruitful. "How long" that takes would depend on the particular theory.

As regards your NWO/Illuminati stance I am quite sure there are some highly-placed and powerful conspiring with others at that level in order to steer world affairs. I know this because I practice these things myself in my sphere of influence. I have two websites that service my local community and will use these to create a sensation about something or some event I am staging and I admit I do so in a manipulative fashion in order to make our club and extended community more successful in its endeavors. I don't have an "evil" agenda but I don't hesitate to use my communications tools to accomplish what I consider worthwhile goals.

I can rapidly drop theories as rapidly as I may adopt them to study. I find merit in many "hidden" aspects of them and learn by it all.

To reverse your question, how many skeptics will admit they are wrong if faced with enough evidence to suggest something very well could be true even if unable to prove it outright. For example, I believe the JFK assasination was a conspiracy even if it cannot be absolutely be proven without a single doubt.

Originally posted by BrokenCircles

Originally posted by Chadwickus
So at what point will you finally go..."holy crap I was wrong"?
Never?
So, when will you say...."I was wrong?"
Or..how long until you stop saying "I'm right"?

Also, this is the brilliant part about conspiracies-
There are always un-named faces behind it all, so no matter what the proof is, there will always be an excuse that others will be able to conjure up and use to deny the proof.

If we were in an existence, where we knew everything that there was to know, life would be quite dull and boring.

definately,, it would be completely boring if we knew all. even if we knew all there'd still be skeptics and radical Theorists

reply to post by Chadwickus

So, when will you say...."I was wrong?"

When something i believe has a 100% proof that it was fake.Until then i have the right to research them, even if that means that i will have to see every trashy youtube video that exists.

If you can prove to me and convince me that,for example aliens are not visiting earth,i will say right now that "i was wrong".But until that time i cannot say it.

reply to post by Robert Reynolds


Sorry I didn't realise only certain people could join and post on ATS.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


I'm more than willing to admit when I'm wrong.

I believe the possibility of alien visitation and that JFK was sus, same as Pearl Harbour.

If these are proven wrong, no biggy for me.

Same if the NWO does exist, I will grudgingly admit I was wrong.

When I was a bible thumping christian, no one could have told me the bible was a farce. Some tried. All failed. I had to come to that point in my life where I genuinely questioned my own beliefs. And why I held them. When I did, and compared what I believed against what I knew from many years of study in other fields, my paradigm started falling apart. My point being, I had to get there myself. I had to prove myself wrong. No one else could do it.

Since that time, I frequently question my beliefs, and my convictions. And those conspiracies I hold as truth, have been put through rigorous testing in my own mind. And a few have died along the way because they couldn’t hold up under my own scrutiny. Again, I have to be the one who believes or disbelieves a given conspiracy. Even though I am much more open to the opinion of others now, than I was as a christian. And I am much more likely to weigh opposing opinions to my own than I used to be.

I suspect there are many who are just like me. They have been fooled and lied to in the past. And won’t be so easily persuaded again. Yes, it could be an Achilles heel. But it is also a strength. So Chad, you might be the wisest man on earth, and have all knowledge. You may be one of the gods of Olympus. And truthfully, I do read all of your posts. But I’ll still make up my own mind. I won’t have anyone telling me what I should or shouldn’t believe anymore. Including religious scientific zealots who believe everything the mainstream of science preaches from the pulpit. Been there, done that.

The more mainstream a belief, a “fact”, or teaching is. The less likely I am to take it at face value. And the more likely I am to scrutinize it.

S&F Chad.

I know I must be wrong about nearly everything. Otherwise I would be a god

Only the religious are certain in their convictions.

I therefore expect to be proven wrong all the time. That this rarely happens does not mean I am right - only that those holding differing opinions are even more wrong than I am.

reply to post by Klassified


This is exactly what I'm looking for, I didn't even think or religion as a specific example probably because to many certain conspiracies are like a religion.

Thank you for sharing your story.

Don't be offended by this post, it is light-hearted in nature...

Not that I am an ATS veteran, but sheesh Chadwickus, why can't you leave people alone?
Seems like we've both been here a few years and I see the same topics every year.
It doesn't bother me what people believe in...why do you let it bother you?

But I will say this:
A conspiracy site member asking members when will they admit defeat is just like...
...asking our gov't when they will tell the truth about our history.
And we both know the hide a ton of information. (16 million top secret docs this year alone)

There's no conspiracy about our gov't hiding documents.
And there are a ton of conspiracies I really don't care about.
But there are a few that seem more than plausible.

My question to you is when will you stop being a negative nancy?

Have fun with the things you don't like and smile.
Alot of people still need to fully research before making decisions.
(and keep producing your threads...I enjoy them)
Remember, there are a lot of inquiring minds here...

Originally posted by TheyWontBelieveU

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by TheyWontBelieveU

 

So it's drinking the cool aide to think that half of all conspiracies are wrong?

So what conspiracies do you believe in? You've stated only half of all the conspiracies are wrong. I feel the fact that you've said yourself that you believe in some conspiracies, makes you and this thread very hypocritical.

edit on 12-4-2011 by TheyWontBelieveU because: censored

Are you going to answer my question?

reply to post by TheyWontBelieveU


To be honest it's none of your business.

But if you've actually read the thread, you would of gotten a hint.

reply to post by Chadwickus


Good point you make there but the door swings both ways.
Personally some on your list i do not subscribe to but they do make amusing reading, just seeing what the pale provides.
But one of them i know to be true.
The question i ask you is...
How long will it take until you realise you were wrong?

What places like ATS do is allow us a different perspective and idea about the world around us.

What is right and what is wrong? what I have discovered is that we are surrounded by conspiracy, although I believe that people fall into 3 camps.
Those who believe anything because they saw a well made video.
Those who don't believe in anything anymore because they have read so much nonsense
and those like myself who realize that not everything in itself is a conspiracy, yet events will always be used and situations will always arise that will allow some to get further on their agenda.

I admit freely that I have been duped into believing a lot of conspiracies and after a few years of researching myself have come to the conclusion that people love conspiracies and want to make everything one.

We have members here who post for flags and stars with the most controversial posts, we have others who use pretty pictures to claim their prize.

There is nothing wrong with people asking questions, what we all have to do is look at each answer and decide how much of that answer is true.

So, to answer the question
How long will it take until you realise you were wrong?
How long is a piece of string? people will find their own truth in their own time and no matter how many posts are made, everyone has their lightbulb moment and start connecting dots and see the answers they are looking for in their own time.

reply to post by g146541


Well like I said, if i'm ever wrong, I will be the first to admit it.

Thing is though, the difference to me being wrong and someone living in fear being wrong is that it won't take until my deathbed to realise it and if it does, I would have lived my life without fear.

reply to post by munkey66


Good answer.

Perhaps the question is like a conspiracy itself, there is no concrete answer.

I think I know where Chad is going with this.

It’s okay to question, wonder, theorize…etc

He’s not saying otherwise. However, at what point does one begin to really analyze available data? I’ve seen it so often both here and in society. So many people flat out refuse to have an open mind, whereas with some people, if their mind were anymore open their gray matter would fall out.

Case in point, the FBI Vault as it relates to Unexplained Phenomenon. I’m seeing people here get attacked by the ardent believers when they are simply stating facts!! (i.e. these third hand memos have been available for ages…oh and its third hand info)

Do I discount the possibility of HAARP? God? E.T. Visitation? Chemtrails? N.W.O, reverse engineering, Bob Lazar etc? No. And I will remain steadfast in keeping an open mind until unequivocal proof comes along that shows me otherwise.

And no, I don’t accept YouTube videos as unequivocal proof.

But am I steadfast in my beliefs to the point where I will let them affect my life? No.

Yet, it’s all relative to the individual I suppose.

I know that I came here to learn, contribute and grow. I feel some people came here with the same intentions but have been lead astray by the fanaticism that sometimes occurs.

Oh well, to each his own I guess.