![]() Indeed, it’s the differences that blind us to the similarities. I’m not saying that these ideas are on the same level of nuttiness as the Illuminati. As long, that is, as the cabal is the global financial elite, the military–industrial complex, big pharma or agribusiness. In many circles, it is a sign of intelligence, not eccentricity, to attribute ultimate power to “a secret cabal that’s actually running the world”, as Hellyer put it. Rather than just dismissing Hellyer and his ilk, we would do better to see how much of our thinking displays the same weaknesses. When we dig for the truth, we flirt with madness Little wonder that we often resort to quicker, dirtier ways of making the world comprehensible. All require the time, intelligence or education that most of us lack. Almost all of us try to tidy it up, which is why there are disciplines such as social science, economics and international relations. Similarly, hyperactive agency detection is the human condition, not a medical one.įurthermore, the causes of our overuse of these basic cognitive mechanisms are often completely understandable desires rather than pathological defects. The difference between a “normal” person and one with pareidolia is simply whether the over-sensitivity to pattern causes problems functioning. However, from a strictly rational point of view, these mechanisms are always defective. THE SECRET SOCIETY HIDDEN MYSTERY LEVELS CRACKERPareidolia, for instance, is seeing patterns in random data, such as the face of Jesus in a cream cracker or the date of the apocalypse in Donald Trump’s social security number. When these basic human cognitive mechanisms create problems we label them as pathologies. ![]() Thinking of plants as “wanting” sunlight or “trying” to flower, for example, is an easy way of understanding their behaviour. But adopting what the US philosopher Daniel Dennett calls the “intentional stance” can be helpful even when we know that there is no conscious intention at all. We cannot begin to understand the actions of others unless we attribute motives to their actions. ![]() The assumption of agency is also extremely helpful. But if they thought they had noticed that sacrificing a goat increased the likelihood of rain, then at worst they wasted the odd bit of meat. If our ancestors had failed to notice that crops left to dry tended to die, they too would have expired through starvation. Pattern-seeking is essential for our survival, and the penalties for seeing patterns where none exist are lighter than those for missing patterns that really are there. We are constantly on the lookout for both patterns and agency. The reasons why people believe in secret, controlling elites are rooted in basic human nature. ![]() The problem is that they differ from the rest of us only in degree, not kind. It’s good to know that we’re much more sensible and rational than these clearly deluded conspiracy theorists. Mockery is easy, but it’s also reassuring. Perhaps the Illuminati is like that other great mystery, quantum theory: if you think you understand it, you don’t. But since the whole point about secret all-powerful elites is that they are mysterious, maybe that’s to be expected. Why the possessors of such fantastic kit should prefer to cash in on the extraction of still abundant oil rather than on their incredible, exclusive alternative is mysterious. ![]()
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