Are conspiracy theorists sociopaths?

The ones I know fit most of the comments above.
I suppose the only blessing is that their most wild theories cause even others tending to believe in some conspiracy theories from the spectrum, means most folks take everything they say with a very large pinch of salt, (mitigating ther negative behaviour to some extent, though they never give up believe me!).
 

grahamg said:
The ones I know fit most of the comments above.
I suppose the only blessing is that their most wild theories cause even others tending to believe in some conspiracy theories from the spectrum, means most folks take everything they say with a very large pinch of salt, (mitigating ther negative behaviour to some extent, though they never give up believe me!).
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People who remember or were effected by or know about an actual (historical) conspiracy to knowingly do harm for gain (of profit or power) tend to distrust the government, big business, and persons in power. For example, currently, some people theorize that the US government's Board of Education is altering history by rewriting history text books to suit their (nefarious) purposes, while others can't believe the current administration would do such a thing. And too often, rather than wait to see what "comes out in the wash", the latter label the former a nut-job (or psychopath).

And all too often, the facts don't come out until long after the conspiracy theorist died wearing that label, and a lot of people who read about it decades later say to themselves "Glad that kind of thing doesn't happen anymore."
 
Murrmurr said:
People who remember or were effected by or know about an actual (historical) conspiracy to knowingly do harm for gain (of profit or power) tend to distrust the government, big business, and persons in power.
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Yep, a good example was the dynamiting of the levees across the river from New Orleans in 1927 ( https://chrisdier.com/2014/02/16/when-the-levees-blew-up-a-public-execution-of-a-community/ ). It really happened and resulted in lots of flooding and destruction in St Barnard and Plaquemines parishes. Done to relive the pressure on the New Orleans side of the river.

Ever since people have believed that a lot of flooding has been caused by levee blasting, its still believed by many to have caused the flooding from Katrina. One true event spawned many conspiracy theories.
 

Alligatorob said:
Yep, a good example was the dynamiting of the levees across the river from New Orleans in 1927 ( https://chrisdier.com/2014/02/16/when-the-levees-blew-up-a-public-execution-of-a-community/ ). It really happened and resulted in lots of flooding and destruction in St Barnard and Plaquemines parishes. Done to relive the pressure on the New Orleans side of the river.

Ever since people have believed that a lot of flooding has been caused by levee blasting, its still believed by many to have caused the flooding from Katrina. One true event spawned many conspiracy theories.
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By the time locals where I once lived found out the plant that treated telephone poles was treating them with toxic creosote, and dumping the residue in public waters, all the folks who died from it were dead, and nobody left alive cared. But they were saying stuff like, "Hey, remember that wacky old dude who used to talk crazy about the telephone poles all the time?"
 
Devi said:
Exactly. Just because someone labels something a "conspiracy theory" (in an attempt to negate it) doesn't mean it's not true.
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There are some clues though, for example if the man telling you said conspiracy theory asserts there's a human face or pyramid on Mars, man never went to the moon, and fannys you're aunt, you'll have an idea whether you should believe them straight off, or repeat their nonsense! :(
 
Murrmurr said:
People who remember or were effected by or know about an actual (historical) conspiracy to knowingly do harm for gain (of profit or power) tend to distrust the government, big business, and persons in power. For example, currently, some people theorize that the US government's Board of Education is altering history by rewriting history text books to suit their (nefarious) purposes, while others can't believe the current administration would do such a thing. And too often, rather than wait to see what "comes out in the wash", the latter label the former a nut-job (or psychopath).
And all too often, the facts don't come out until long after the conspiracy theorist died wearing that label, and a lot of people who read about it decades later say to themselves "Glad that kind of thing doesn't happen anymore."
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Its hard to doubt George Orwell in the 1930s writing his books, forecasting "big brother" taking over everything, had good reason to try to provide his dire warnings of the world he could see coming, (the rise of Nazism's etc. very much in his thoughts no doubt).
 
Murrmurr said:
Not every conspiracy theory ever uttered is something to scoff at. In fact, many of them have turned out to be completely true.
Here's a list of several "nasty rumors" started by a bunch of loons:
The US gov't did indeed poison alcohol during prohibition.
In the 1950s, the Canadian gov't hired a university professor to develop a machine that supposedly could detect whether or not federal employees were gay.
The US gov't did indeed use body parts of dead infants and children to test radioactivity.
US gov't (the CIA) tested LSD on thousands of individuals without their knowledge. The objective" mind control.
The world was proven round.
The Gulf of Tonkin attack never happened.
The US gov't was indeed seriously investigating UFOs from 2008 to 2011 (so they're saying).


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Thank you. i made similar point on another thread about conspiracies and those who theorize about them.
The term 'Conspiracy Theorist' was a deliberate media manipulation ploy to discredit legit whistle blowers. While some modern proponents have taken them to whole new levels (i have trouble with those who believe conflicting theories equally vehemently), not all conspiracy theories and theorists are cut from the same cloth.
 
Alligatorob said:
I know and have known a number or people who believed in conspiracy theories, but to the best of my knowledge none were sociopaths. Some I know well enough to be sure they are not sociopaths.

In fact I don't know that I have ever met a real sociopath, probably have just didn't know it.
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I bet you've probably met or even worked with a sociopath...

"Careers with highest proportion of psychopaths
CEO
Lawyer
Media (TV/radio)
Salesperson
Surgeon
Journalist
Police officer
Clergy
Chef
Civil servant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace"
 
Conspiracy theory or not I do not trust any government any farther than I can spit. I have seen to much government corruption in my lifetime. I will never forget Watergate. That was at the beginning of my interest in politics and not a very good beginning;)
 
@Buckeye posted a link to this story in another thread.

A Stafford County couple in their 40s contracted the virus and died within about two weeks of each other, leaving behind five children and one grandson.​
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Mike Mitchem said his brother and sister-in-law (Kevin and Misty Mitchem) had not been vaccinated, even though family members who had been inoculated encouraged them to do the same.​
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“They’d just been leery. They were going off what they’ve been hearing and reading on the internet,” he said.​

Kevin Mitchem was vocal about his anti-vax stance and posted anti-vax conspiracy theories on Facebook. After he wound up in the hospital with covid, he asked for the vaccine. Too late. Vaccines don't work that way. You can't get a retroactive vaccine. He apologized for not getting vaccinated, but if he really cared about his family, he would have gotten the vaccine and made sure everyone in his family got it.

His ideology was more important to him than his family or even his own well being. I don't know if that's sociopathy or just plain irrationality. Now his children will grow up without their parents.
 
I think that is too broad in determining what or who is a sociopath. Clinical psychology is not so cavalier in using these terms to describe someone who may be different in a few aspects from what we call normal behavior. Some conspiracy theorists simply throw thoughts out there to obtain different takes on a given subject. In the clinical sense there is little difference between a psychopath and a sociopath and each is used interchangeably. Both describe asocial individuals who live their lives according to their own rules and laws. I am sure some are into all sorts of conspiracies surrounding them, but I don't believe that applies to all.
 
Regarding the article that was used in this discussion, I had a look at it. There's always a chance that the data has errors in it, and so we really can't rely on just one article as being the truth. Although the p value was low (if it's low, you reject the null hypothesis) and it shows statistical significance that does not necessarily mean that it has practical significance. Practical significance is what really happens in the real world. Several more research papers have to be written in order to believe what they are saying. Does that make sense? Therefore, I am ambiguous on the topic. I have known conspiracy theorists that were perfectly normal people (with decent jobs, families, and education). So I wouldn't label them sociopaths or psychopaths. Just sharing my thoughts on this.
 
Just remembered that my Uncle became an conspiracy theorist at the age of about 95. It came with the onset of Alzheimer's. And he was no sociopath.

He was a very intelligent and articulate man. He even wrote a bit professionally. He spoke about it and explained that as he was losing his mind he had become more open to new ideas. He always read a book every few days and towards the end his house was full of books on things like how the Air Force was coving up UFO encounters, and who really killed Kennedy.
 
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