A lack of trust from the sources providing certain information. People don’t believe that a rocket can make it to the moon, so they make up a fact that it was all faked. Some people probably do it for the simple purpose of rebellion against the majority, no clear cut reason that may seem logical on a surface level.

I have a friend who sees a conspiracy in
just about everything and I don’t for a minute let her get way with that! It’s a wonder she hangs in our friendship, because I can give her a hard time! At the same time I am working on why she does this and one thing that I have noticed from things that she says and does, she does not and has not been paying attention to much! She never sees things along the road way, she always takes the same route when she goes out. And when she was last here, she looked around at how I am making garden areas with rocks and pots, etc and she said to me, ‘I never would have thought to do that!’ Rock gardens are very common in the desert area! I suspect over the years, she has taken in only the information that she had too...not like what I do...I take in everything around me and will suck up more, if I can find any! This is just one example...that might shed a little light on this problem with conspiracy theories, with some people.

Critical thinking

I wish I knew the answer to that. I think there is much to be said about a combination of factors like changes in the media landscape, reduced education in civics, and a growing suspicion/cynicism of government.

I was born in the 60s, so I was a child of the 70s and early 80s, we watched shows about UFOs, and so government cover-ups were sort of a focus (seed of doubt planted). Politically, Reagan (666), came right out and said that we can't trust the government. In that era, we had about 30 minutes of local news, then another 30 to 60 minutes of national/international news.

As cable news took hold, and the internet came into more housholds, the ability to share information became more accessible - now that those are more accessible than ever, and opinion has in many cases replaced journalism, anyone can find an article or opinion piece to fit their personal bias.

Even stupid people don't like to accept that they are stupid, so they will take their "evidence" to argue and defend their position, and since they have been taught to hold opposing viewpoints as suspect or lies they won't believe you. I guess it's the classic argument against Lucifer "he lies, don't trust him", but because they "know better", they can't accept that maybe it is they who are being lied to.

I think you have it about exactly wrong. "Conspiracy theory" is a mind- propaganda tool designed to chill inquiry. ANY hypothesis deserves examination. If there is no factual support move on, but dropping inquiry before fact search is foolish. No where is the effectiveness of this particular mind- more obvious than in the 911 matter. While the scientific evidence is overwhelming that those THREE buildings did not tumble into their own foot prints without expert demolition it remains taboo to even for a real investigation into the matter. Stop enabling the propaganda – get off the Kool-Aide.

For me, it's when I see something that seems to be too much of a coincidence

I am still not over the conspiracy theory of Julius Cesar Death. 13 senators with daggers was just serendipity a lo Italiano!!!! My buddy here says it was "Suicide by Proxy".

Some people think life is boring and aren't content with just observing without having answers, same reason we have religion.

I think that some of them simply delight in being both irretrievably stupid and utterly infuriating. They simply love making rabbit trails for anyone who will listen.

Some of them do this as part of their disallusion with modernity/technology/government/etc and their hit or miss inferences from its worst actual trappings.

Then there are those who seem to do it as a kind of faux expertise. They may have the intellect to be an intellectual, but have chosen to sharpen their ability to make something seem true instead of making what's true interesting or powerful.

Putting together a puzzle with tidbits of information from a variety of sources. For example I argue that Geo. Soros and the Koch Bros. and power brokers, are sitting on a island tweaking all of us. Something along the old James Bond SPECTRE organization.
What is humorous is how many say that I've become a nut job with this line of reasoning, yet in the same breath will bring up the question of Obama's nationality and/or religion.

A conspiracy murdered Abraham Lincoln, which no one doubts.

The Clinton administration was chock full of successful coverups, of which the TWA flight 800 shoot down by a US Navy training accident is the most obvious.

My question is why gullible Americans believe whatever ridiculous nonsense they read in the mass media. It's an embarrassment.

Lack of education

Same/similar process as religion. Stems from cognitive distortion. The "eduction" systems discourage imagination and logical thought. The fourth estate promote false conspiracy propaganda and in response much of the "educated" populous react by getting sucked into believing opposing conspiracy theories.

I believe it's a combination of mistrust, a desire to feel more intelligent (as opposed to actually being more intelligent) and a desire to be part of a select group. I'm not sure exactly when "facts" became so fluid but it's clear that we've been lied to enough that the boy who cried wolf is hearing "wolf" in dead silence.

I would like to know too. No critical thinking skills?

Read "Fantasyland" by Kurt Andersen.

Crazy

I would like to know if other cultures entertain conspiracy theories before I would make that comparison.Everything else is just conjecture

Ignorance of the real facts that allow something we do not understand to happen. It is a means to understand.

Perhaps being ridiculed,made fun of,and public embarrassesment, was more than this person could take,fueling a obsession with what ever the subject was?

Sounds starkly like .

Nothing you see or hear is real, thus, any answer would not be true. THEY are out there and they are listening. :/