I was a conspiracy theorist, too
I know why people turn to conspiracy theories in uncertain times. I did the same when my husband had a brain tumor.It was October 2005 when my husband Mike called me with the news. I was working on my dissertation in my home office, and he had just received the call from his ophthalmologist.
I have a brain tumor. Its called a craniopharyngioma. Its a benign tumor near the pituitary gland.
Benign is a misnomer for the tumor in his midbrain that would ultimately rob my smart, improv comedian, graphic designer husband of not only his vision but his short-term memory and his ability to care for himself over the following nine months.
In the early days of the diagnosis, I was debilitated by grief and anxiety. One night, I wept at dinner. Its not fair, I remember repeating.
He calmly responded, Who would it be fair for, though? Would it be fair if I were old? Would it be fair if we did not have a baby? It has nothing to do with what is fair, Danna. It is just random.
It is just random. These words were not comforting to me. They made me angry.
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/5/15/21258855/coronavirus-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-cancer
A lot more at the link.
chia
(2,244 posts)FM123
(10,053 posts)The part that really stood out to me was this:
When we feel powerless in a situation that is both complex and overwhelming, the identification of people and institutions to blame feels good to us.
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)(S)he gets blamed and thanked a lot for the most trivial things.
And to think that God favors one team or athlete over others is ridiculous.
I guess who one blames or credits depends on their upbringing.
Another type of person I can't figure out is someone with no regrets. They simply don't care who they've hurt in the past. Those are my biggest regrets--the moments I can't go back and fix.
In the author's case, it was an early death of a loved one. Your brain is in a blender as you watch this unfold in slow motion. Anger and denial are the first 2 in the 5 stages of death (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross). Blame and conspiracy theories just come with those emotions.