FYI:

A successful conspiracy theory is one that, to some degree, empowers the believer against what he/she perceives as external forces that he/she can blame for some unpleasant or undesirable facet of their lives.

In addition, conspiracy theories serve to absolve the individual from self-accountability, since the individual is being "oppressed" by some powerful conspiracy. Therefore, his/her efforts at self-advancement will always be futile and, thus, become nothing more than "a waste of time." Therefore, why put out the effort?

The holder of a conspiracy theory will always summarily reject any evidence, no matter how overwhelming, that it is false, because their self-esteem, their feelings of self-worth are inextricably bound up in believing it and convincing others that it is true.

Sadly, it seems that conspiracy theories and their advocates are now deeply engrained in the popular psyche and without prospects for their ultimate refutation.

From an article in a recent issue of Psychology Today.

An excerpt from an article in another issue of the same magazine.

Belief in all-powerful conspiracies is associated with the feelings of alienation and disaffection from the system. Volkan (1985) suggests that, especially during periods of insecurity and discontent, people often feel a need for a tangible enemy on which to externalize their angry feelings. Conspiracy theories may help in this process by providing a tangible enemy to blame for problems which otherwise seem too abstract and impersonal. Conspiracy theories also provide ready answers for unanswered questions and help to resolve contradictions between known "facts" and an individual's belief system.

Don Firth