Line between deny ignorance and mental illness

For some time I have observing people on ATS, the way they think of conspiracies and gov't. Seriously I think some of us are way over their heads. I mean some, not all, just some. I have listened to people who think that everything is a conspiracy and gov't is watching and also some crazy ideas.

I think I am in the middle, I don't believe everything that is said in CNN, nor do I question everything in life, somethings are just right.

This quote says it all "What you see is the evidence of what you believe, Believe and you will see it." Dr. Wayne D Drier. Some people just think that everything is conspiracy that when they see something, they just assume it is a conspiracy, even though clearly it isn't.

Don't misunderstand me, I think what we are doing is absolutely great, the way we discuss everything is good, but some people just need help.

The purpose of this thread is to alert you of those people and advice you not to become those people. I have to go, so I will keep end here, but I have more to say and to those guys who are just going to disagree with me because you can't agree with anyone (guys on the crazy side), never mind this post, other than that critisim encouraged.

i notice that sometimes too, but it is a conspiracy board and i find post such as those entertaining. i remmber one of the first post i read here was about the theory that humans where evolved from bigfoot or something. nothing wrong if you believe that i suppose, but i found it a very enteresting read.

Some come here to foment mistrust of the government to further their political agendas and to mislead the impressionable. Some come to enjoy debate over ideas that are on the fringes of acceptability in other forums. Some come to have fun at the expense of others. Some come to interject a voice of reason into maelstrom of controversy.

Some have paranoid delusions, I feel quite certain, but the truly paranoid, I would think, would be too afraid to use the medium of the internet to share the details of their delusions--the government, you know. Some of us are crazy, but the really crazy are convinced that they are the only one's who know the truth and also know that no one else can be trusted.

I would imagine that if you have good mental health, good contact with people in society, to keep you well grounded, sufficent friends and colleagues to keep your feet on the ground then you will tend to take much of the stuff here and process it before blindly accepting it.

Personally I find about 50% of the content is dubious, 25% is plausable, and 25% is correct. The question is can you work out which is which.

The thing that amazes me about ATS isn't the ideas (take the stonehenge one recently), as any goof can write a story and make it sound plausable, but the massive skill base of the members. I often follow the quality posters knowing that whatever they are posting in is worth it.

Every now and then you come across gems of threads, where quality from knowledgable people has really added to the information. They make it all worth while, and keep me hanging in through the kooks, the wowsers, and the pranksters.

i think what's more important than the theories themselves is that people are being questioning. most people also take an intelligent approach by providing links and so forth. so as long as people keep goin about things in the same manner, all is good.

HELLO EVERYONE THANK YOU I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE SATELLITES THE GOVERNMENT USES IN A SECRET PROJECT I HAVE EVIDENCE OF AND PHOTOS TAKEN FROM AN UNDERGROUND BASE THAT I WORKED AT AT THE REQUEST OF THE POPE AND THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT WITH THE HELP OF THE GREYS AND OTHER ALIEN BEINGS AND ENTITIES CODENAME "DARKSTAR" UNDER SPECIAL NWO PROTOCOL THE GOVERNMENT USES THE SATELLITES TO CONTROL MY THOUGHTS AND EVERYONES THOUGHTS IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AND SOON TO BE THE WORLD EXCEPT ANTARCTICA BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE USING TECHNOLOGY THEY STOLE FROM....

I dunno. Jimi Hendrix. Paranoia is a symptom of various mental illnesses but is only a shade away from being healthily observant. I think these are flip sides of the same coin. This aspect of our minds which questions and distrusts can be used productively, but can also fall apart quite disastrously.

-koji K.

I couldn't agree more

There is healthy questioning, and then there is down right loony

Healthy questioning = Were we justified going to war with Iraq (and I believe we were)

loony = The NWO and the greys are planning a take over of the world, but they aren't really in charge. The reptillians are the ones pulling the strings.

Oh and I think CNN is a great news network.
I do believe about everything they say.

Funny to see quite clear how some reporters favor Kerry, and others Bush and how they respond to eachother at points they are not allowed to get into a discussion.

Being skeptical is a good way to go about this site and the news media. Question what you see and hear, and look for multiple sources. People so often don't question the sources of information.

A great example of this not related to politics or conspiracy is something like the food and vitamin industry. Some product, lets call it 'Carb-a-way', pays a doctor to conduct experiments and conclude that carb-a-way means no cancer and with 30 mins of exercise a day you lose 10 lbs in a month. All you have to do to get your free miracle carb-a-way is pay $9.95 shipping and handling, and its FREE! Reducing carbs has been proven before to take off pounds fast.

What they dont tell you, is this doctor was paid for his results that benefit the product, they used 18 yr old males who have low cancer risk anyway and take off weight quickly, its the 30 mins of exercise that did it, and they could give you rat poop for the same effect, $9.95 is not free, and reducing carbs by not eating food anymore takes weight off quickly too.

In modern political campaigns, you can take little snippets of speeches and make people appear like total lunatics or liars, and you miss the whole story or context. Depending on the way the question is asked, Bush can appear to support the war, or not.

Example:
Knowing what you know now would you go into Iraq? Yes, of course.
Knowing that thousands of men would die and this would be an ongoing operation costing billions of dollars, would you take the same approach and send these men to death? Well, no we might have done some things differently. A HA You're a flip flopper!!

Remember what the media did to Howard Dean? His Arraaghh! speech? Having watched the whole thing, I found that speech and that part to be motivating, and completely appropriate in the context and place that he was in. The audience was energized, and the Arrghh seemed excited and hopeful. Take a small clip of it with him shouting states names and screaming, and the guy sounded nutty.

Nothing is what you see is what you get anymore.

As for mental health: If you *think* you're a little bit crazy, you're probably not. If you're convinced you're 100% sane, theres probably something going on.

Originally posted by Strigoi
i notice that sometimes too, but it is a conspiracy board and i find post such as those entertaining. i remmber one of the first post i read here was about the theory that humans where evolved from bigfoot or something. nothing wrong if you believe that i suppose, but i found it a very enteresting read.

Like 'AmericanBadMan' said "When you believe that Bush tricked us into Iraq, that is debatble, when you believe aliens are going to take charge, that is not"

Seriously, sometimes people go way, I mean it way, over their limits.

As you said it could be interesting for some time, but after a year of it you get sick of it.

I am not saying you not to think the way you want, but just think about that thinking and think from ALL prespectives.

Basicly alot of things the American goverment says is crap, or missleading in some way.

Some things are right, but not alot... The people that say everything the goverment say is a lie are paranoid, nothing more.

Think about it this way, a goverment you cannot trust, cannot and should NOT run the country.

Monarchies are alot better in my opinion, most countries were very powerful under the reign of a king or queen.

Goverments screw the country up, its just the way most (not all) politicians run the country and the way they are.

Yeah I agree.
The only problem with a dictatorship, is that the dictator has to be very very smart, reasonable, and wise for it to work.
If a dictator is corrupt, the country is doomed.

Originally posted by Jakko
Yeah I agree.
The only problem with a dictatorship, is that the dictator has to be very very smart, reasonable, and wise for it to work.
If a dictator is corrupt, the country is doomed.

I Said a Monarchy, Most countries were more Orginised, In-Line, Powerful and overall a better place under a monarchy.

Originally posted by The_Squid
I Said a Monarchy, Most countries were more Orginised, In-Line, Powerful and overall a better place under a monarchy.

This is a very good example of "The grass is always greener on the other side."

Thousands, if not millions, of people, died trying to get democracy and now you want monarchy, great.

I think you need to look back at history and see the things monarchs have done to us and decide for yourself if they were organized or a better place to live under (yeah right).

I consider myself fairly sane...I know some would doubt that......LOL, but the things is, this is a site that you can entertain all the things you may think about, but probably deep down know your nuts for thinking. I enjoying reading the "what if's" unless they are just so ridiculously insane.......

The thing that upsets me more than anything here, is seeing how much bigotry and hate is still around, that has been an eye opener for me.

First of all calling "Looney" some because you don't agree with their post is not right.

If you see a thread that you like you post your opinions and everything is fine.

We have the choice to ignore the "nonsense� or you can add more to it, am become as "Looney" as you think they are.

Or you can chose to post on topics that you feel more comfortable with and you see as "intelligent" in your point of view.

People around here are not "loonies" some of them really believe what they post. It will be irresponsible to tag members because we don't agree with them.

And yes once in a while it will be some that truly are amazing in the "Looney" way but their views to me are amusing.

Lost of great thinkers were seem as "Looney" once until they became part of history, just remember that.

Most Monarchs people think of are the mean ones, and the older ones where illness was everywhere and they didnt know how to treat it.

Look at Queen Victoria's Reign and Queen Elisabeth I's reign just for a few examples...

Marg6043, I was just trying to show people that what they read is not exactly true. I specifically made a point to say people that "I am not saying you not to think the way you want, but just think about that thinking and think from ALL prespectives."

I understand where you are coming from, and thank you for saying that, but again I don't agree with you.

Like you said I could just ignore the stupid ones and check for the intelligent ones, if I have done that I won't be typing this or any other post for that matter, I would have just ignored everything, but that doesn't get you anywhere, arguement does, at least to a certain level.

Yes, great thinkers are called looney during their time, but the people who now post ridiculous posts are ridiculous, again I am not pointing this at anyone or any post, I am just saying posts occur and beware of those posts and don't get mindwashed.

My point is not make the bad ones look good, but rather to inform people about the bad ones by just saying the bad ones exist.

All great people are missunderstood. We as humans fear what we dont understand.

surfup,

If they want to believe on nonsense it is their choice. I guess I have a different point of view than you, and that is fine.

[edit on 3-9-2004 by marg6043]