Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake Doctor
Why do they do this? To feel smarter. To feel smarter than "the unenlightened." To feel smarter because they have "hidden knowledge" or "the secret." It's a lame attempt at intellectual pretension, a cynic's pose fueled by too much time and not enough thinking, a lazy person's path to never achieving Truth.
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It's also big business. Alex Jones has all the info on the downfall of the world but won't share it unless you pay the $54.95 annual subscription fee. You can find out when you're going to be locked up and thrown into detention camps to die by picking up a DVD in the store at their new holiday gift rate.
The concept behind it is not unlike religion. Look at what Scientology has done over the years. They've made people believe that there is a hidden truth behind the smoke and mirrors of our world, and you can be enlightened by buying a bunch of overpriced books. The fresh faced preacher on TV Sunday mornings will let you know how you can be part of the enlightened group who lives happy, prosperous lives if you can pay $19.95 for the hardcover copy of his new book. If you can hold off on your happiness for a few months, you'll be able to get it in paperback for half the price.
It's probably too deep for this thread, but it's just how we evolved. Our minds are built to buy into these things for a number of reasons. If you're into that kind of stuff, I'd pick up Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell. Phenomenal book on psychology and why people believe certain things.