From: ABlainey@aol.com
Date: Sun Jul 28 2002 - 17:20:32 MDT
In a message dated 28/07/02 17:14:12 GMT Daylight Time, asa@nada.kth.se
writes:
>Another factor is the ability to detect patterns. A stupid person is
>less able to detect subtle patterns and correlations than an intelligent
>one. However, most patterns are spurious and not worth dwelling on, so
>we learn to ignore them efficiently. But paranoia seems to be an
>inability to ignore unlikely but important patterns - the probability
>of the pattern is extremely low, but if it is true it would be so
>important that it has to be further examined. This model would suggest
>that intelligent people are more likely to end up in conspiracy theory
>since they see more complex patterns to worry about; if they have a
>slight predisposition to not being able to let go of patterns that might
>be important they can turn into obsessives
I'll agree with that idea. This model would show why the less intelligently
endowed followers of cults
tend to follow without question, But the more intelligent are the real
'activists' who seek out more and more elaborate conspiracies. Ive always
thought a certain amount of paranoia is a healthy thing. Its definitely a
thin line between 'They are out to get me' and 'The lizard people are out to
get me.'
Alex
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