I often wonder—how do some people make it so far academically in life?
I have a friend who earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology. She’s incredibly composed under pressure, and that resilience has taken her far. But buckle up, because it gets wild—grab your tinfoil hat and prepare for liftoff to the mothership.
Despite her academic background, she believes the Earth is less than 10,000 years old, fewer than 1,000 people died in the Holocaust, vaccines are a government trap, and the Earth is flat. She’s convinced skinwalkers are real, Big Pharma is out to get us, herbs can cure everything, and microwaves are slowly zapping us to death.
When presented with solid scientific evidence, she insists we must “stay skeptical”—even when that skepticism borders on complete denial. I could be standing in front of a pile of ancient bones, and she’d ask, “How do you know grave diggers didn’t plant those to rewrite history?”
It baffles me. How does someone earn an education and still cling so tightly to ideas that defy reason? How do logic and lunacy manage to coexist like that? I understand education doesn’t define intelligence in the slightest, but willing to learn enough to push through to a diploma, takes some willingness to advance.
If you’re someone who believes in every kind of conspiracy theory, like my friend does, please understand this kind of fear often stems from a lack of knowledge. As humans, it’s natural to fear the unknown. But fear doesn’t have to turn into denial.
It’s also completely normal to feel skeptical, even when someone presents solid evidence. In fact, healthy skepticism can lead to deeper understanding. What separates constructive conversation from stubbornness, though, is the willingness to say, “I’m not sure, let me do more research and get back to you,” rather than doubling down on nonsense just to defend a point you’re willing to die on, without truly understanding it.
There’s no shame in not knowing, but there is a missed opportunity when you’re unwilling to learn how complex things actually work. And honestly, when conversations go in circles like that, it makes me question the foundation of our friendship.
Comments
I was married to one of these types for 27 years; a brilliant science minded engineer who is convinced that the earth is flat, Michelle Obama is a man, and the holocaust never happened. While married, we prepared for the end of the world with months supplies of food; gas masks and wheat grinders. SO NEGATIVE. You can’t change them; it is a mental problem. I escaped that depressing way of life and am living FREE now, hope-filled surrounded by everyday non-fear-filled human beings. Again, you wont change your friend… accept the crazy or just move along.