Lazy minds and easy finds for conspiracy theorists

Another wild conspiracy shared

As I sighed, I managed a wry smile because another WhatsApp video had arrived with a title suggesting some incredible and wild conspiracy attached to the Coronavirus pandemic and I have seen quite a few.

It reminds me of a passage in the Bible, ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

If I were to attempt a paraphrase of the above passage, I would say, The pandemic has presented the opportunity for people to depart from sound reasoning, their inclinations attuned to confirmation bias, they will seek those who would help them along with fantastic conspiracy theories and incredibly unbelievable schemes.

Lazy minds are easy finds

What saddens me is many people do have the ability to reason out things if they are inquisitive, questioning and seeking the rationale around things, but are too lazy to consider that when like chicks in a nest they could be fed regurgitated worms. I have sometimes considered naivety a virtue of the unsophisticated, but it looks more like a sin, the more I examine it. Almost a moral failing borne of an incapacity to broaden the mind either through reading, study, or sheer curiosity.

We have in these times a willing multiple of sheeple, primed and ready to be triggered into a murderous mob, murdering reason, truth, justice, and anything of value in their wake. To them and to us is a cautionary tale succinctly condensed into a quote from Voltaire, “They who can make you believe absurdities will make you commit atrocities.”

Question everything deeply

During this pandemic, it is important not to swallow, listen, or read everything you are given, whether they are qualified, dilettantes or disqualified, check the provenance, check their reputation, validate the sources, see if they are peer-reviewed, sort out opinion from fact, verify always and maintain a healthy scepticism. If what you read is too good to be true, it probably is.

Don’t run with it, let it prove itself or ditch. I guess the greatest need for anyone is discernment, the ability to judge a situation well, it might require a bit of research, what you don’t want to be is a stupid fish who swallows it all, hook line and sinker.

Where the information is incomplete, then have as much sense as an old cow, eat the hay and leave the baling wire. Sift the data, filter the deluge, drain out the sludge and seek the value, the truth, the purpose, the motive, the fairness, the justice, and the greater good towards giving you the knowledge and helping humanity. There is so much advice to give, get some antihistamine cream if you’re unfortunate enough to have itching ears.