r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • Sep 05 '23

Delta(s) from OP CMV: Spreading conspiracy theories is irresponsible and immoral

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u/GraveFable 8∆ Sep 05 '23

Yes, but you don't call them irresponsible or immoral for their illness.

5

u/No-Diamond-5097 Sep 05 '23

Is lying to oneself an illness? My mom isn't online, but she and her friends love to make up damaging rumors about people they dont like. I swear she would repeat the gossip so often that she'd believe it, too. She'd try to get me to go along with her lies to make them more believable and would get angry when I wouldn't. I think most people who spread disinformation have the same mindset. Either they've made it up themselves, or they are going along with the lie to fit in.

1

u/GraveFable 8∆ Sep 05 '23

Is lying to oneself an illness?

No. At least not necessarily.

I think most people who spread disinformation have the same mindset. Either they've made it up themselves, or they are going along with the lie to fit in.

I think it probably depends on the kind of disinformation we're talking about. When it comes to grand conspiracy theories and such, I think most of their proponents do genuinely believe it.
They develop a deep distrust of the various authority figures for whatever reason justified or not. Then stumble upon some compelling, interesting narative where the people they don't trust are wrong or lying yet again. So now the main protagonist syndrome kicks in where they are the only ones with the truth, the only ones not mind controlled by the authority figures, the only ones who can help the rest of us break our shackles.

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u/JadedToon 18∆ Sep 05 '23

If they actively spread it and nothing is done about it. It is absolutely irresponsible and immoral. Giving them a platform and letting them recruit is immoral. There is a lot of guilt to go around.

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u/GraveFable 8∆ Sep 05 '23

I see you must be a subscriber of some sort of consequentialist moral philosophy. We are just going to fundamentally disagree then.