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[–]magnora7[S] 10 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Anytime someone says a theory about collusion or legal conspiracy is a pointless endeavor, I always sarcastically think to myself "Yeah, who can possibly imagine rich greedy people teaming up behind closed doors to get themselves more money. /s"

The things people will willingly ignore due to either groupthink pressure, or also fear of the consequences of realizing that truth, is kind of incredible. The human mind is capable of a lot. I see the value in picking and choosing your battles, but sometimes the mind just refuses to think if it sees no reason to, and people latch on to that mental laziness and make an identity out of it. Because it's easy. Especially if resources are plentiful.

[–]wizzwizz4 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

We must, however, equivalently be wary of the tendency to get into "conspiracy thinking" – seeing conspiracies and secret plots for the sake of it, even when the evidence is piling up against it; if only because it distracts from the real ones.

And there are definitely conspiracies. There probably isn't a conspiracy to make us all think that there's a moon when it's actually just a piece of cardboard on a stick, but there probably is a conspiracy somewhere to illegally extract wealth from somewhere that needs it more than the extractors.

It is, however, important not to get trapped by cyclical patterns of thought, and think that your thoughts magically reflect reality. They don't. They rarely do, even if you think you're right; the people who think they're rightest are often wrongest.

[–]magnora7[S] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Of course.

But the desire to see patterns that are otherwise unseen will almost certainly result in what some may call "conspiratorial thinking". There are things you regard as facts that others would call "conspiratorial thinking". But it certainly is possible to go too far and see conspiracies where there are none. There has to be a balance. But assuming people in power are secretly collaborating, which is the literal definition of a legal conspiracy, is something that happens with shocking regularity in this world.

[–]wizzwizz4 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

But the desire to see patterns that are otherwise unseen will almost certainly result in what some may call "conspiratorial thinking".

This is the message that the general population needs to read. But I think the population of Saidit needs to read "not everything's a conspiracy that needs to be uncovered; focus on the ones that are and do" or something to that effect.

Also, if you haven't already, please read every cause wants to be a cult.

Edit: Also read The Relationship Between the Village and the Mission, which has been criticised less but is more relevant.