conspiracies and imperfect information

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“Information is imperfect.”

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Brad Meltzer

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So.

I heard author Brad Meltzer being interviewed on the radio the other morning and he said this quote.

In a larger context he was stating that narrative is driven by ‘the winner’ <or by whomever is actually driving the narrative> and that there is almost always a different context from which information can be delivered.

The comment resonated with me because … well … sometimes it feels like there is some big conspiracy upon us.

Well.

At least it sounds like we are officially in the conspiracy era in that apparently there is some grand conspiracy upon us.

What do I mean?

Pick a topic … any topic … globalization … the system in general … voting … financial … big business … climate science … government … whatever … and you will find a fairly large percentage of people who will unequivocally state that whatever it is … is … well … rigged in some way.

And the biggest “rigged” component is that no matter the topic there is some small group of people directing whatever it is that is being directed <including what we think>.

And that small group underneath the ‘topic du jour’ always has some evil nefarious intent.

This conspiracy mindset has some fairly consequential … well … negative consequences.

It seems that nothing is simple.

It seems like nothing is at it appears.

It seems like nothing is … well … as it really is.

It creates some odd scenarios.

You can be winning and, yet, not really be winning.

You can be telling the truth and, yet, not be telling the truth.

You can be doing the right thing and, yet, not be doing the right thing.

Suffice it to say that there is a massive thread of conspiracy weaving its way through cultural thinking. And it is not all crazy tinfoil hat, sitting in the basement typing on some 15 year old computer crackpot type batshit crazy thinking. It is just a consistent thread of ‘rigged’ or ‘conspiracy’ undermining all that is.

And that … that … well … that is disturbing.

Some would argue this is lack of faith in the system and infrastructure and leadership. Maybe even a lack of trust. I will not <albeit I could>.

What is most concerning is … well … us … the people.

The fact that despite facts … despite some overriding truths … the majority <over 50%> of a population actually believe there is some larger conspiracy conspiring against their will & wishes.

This is an issue.

A real attitudinal issue.

This suggests society in general is fundamentally corrupt.

Maybe worse?

This suggests we, the people, fundamentally think everyone is corruptible.

Now.

What really doesn’t help things is when LEADERS are saying everything is rigged or suggests everyone is corrupt or states that lying & lies is the underpinning of everything that currently exists.

This then makes everything unreliable and everything possibly unfair, biased or rigged in some way.

This then incites people into not only believing the general overarching conspiracy but inspires people to rebel against the larger institution <whether that institution is actually at fault or not because in their eyes ALL institutions bear the corruption/rigged mantle>.

All.

Everything.

Yes.

This means that everything becomes ‘debatable.’

If something is positive for someone you don’t personally like or agree with … well … it can only be positive because the system is rigged.

If something is negative for someone you personally like and agree with … well … it can only be the system is trying to hold them back or down.

If something is 99% agreed upon & proven, the 1% represents the fact that the system is trying to propagandize a misperception.

“It’s all a sham.”

“It’s all a conspiracy.”

Well.

This is crazy.

Fucking nuts.

Can existing institutions and systems run more effectively and equally for all?

Sure. Absolutely.

Are all existing institutions and systems corrupt?

No. Absolutely not.

Are some of the existing institution and system people corrupt?

Sure. Absolutely.

Are all people in existing institutions and systems corruptible?

No. Absolutely not.

Is there some conspiracy to be found in everything? Of course not.

Everyone likes a good conspiracy theory … they are kind of fun to think about … but seriously?

I mean as in seriously believe the entire world, and everything in it, could so simply be manipulated?

Please.

Please take off your tinfoil hat and come up out of the basement.

Regardless.

Setting the grand conspiracy on to the crackpot shelf let me come back to the root of the whole cultural trust mess.

Information is imperfect.

Narratives are called narratives for a reason. There is a teller and a receiver.

A teller will tell the narrative from their frame of reference and based on what they know. The information may be good, maybe great, but it is imperfect.

A receiver accepts the information through their own imperfect information filter.

And as all this happens we filter it all through our heads and, as imperfections tend to do, they stand out a little differently than the perfect narrative. We latch on to those imperfections and turn the spotlight on them and in the glare of blinding light even the imperfections of the imperfect come out.

Call this the double imperfect syndrome.

Ok.

Don’t.

Just call it imperfection in information and just like jagged edges of anything they catch on the minds of some people and are pulled & tugged at seeking to unravel the greater whole.

And therein lies the roots of conspiracies.

Conspiracies thrive on the little imperfections in the ripples of Life and information.

And, in today’s world, where imperfections get amplified on the internet, conspiracies have a never ending flow of fertilizer.

Sigh.

Here is what I know for sure.

Meltzer is 100% correct.

Information is never 100% perfect.

Information is imperfect.

And imperfect information feeds conspiracy theorists.

In fact … imperfect information is like meat to a starving carnivore.

I am also sure there is no grand conspiracy which would suggest that there is some conspiracy threaded throughout just about everything in the world. That would be … well … beyond the scope of inevitability. In addition, conspiracy theories, in general, are just that … theories.

At some point you really have only one of two choices with regard to the world:

Everything is rigged.

Or

Everything isn’t really rigged.

And whichever you choose has repercussion with regard to how you live your life and how you view your life.

And choose wisely.

For if you choose the former you absolve yourself pretty much of personal responsibility and … well … master of your own destiny. You pretty much have just agreed to let the world dictate your Life <no matter how anger in the former you invest in>.

And if you choose the latter … well … you pretty much accept the world as it is and forge ahead.

Yeah.

Just think about that a little the next time you get all hot and bothered over how ‘rigged’ the syste is or when you start embracing some conspiracy theory.

Me?

Sign me up for choice 2.

I don’t really care if conspiracy theories are … well … theories … or some derivative of some actual truth.

I will never put on some tinfoil hat <because I would look stupid in it> and … well … I refuse to believe my efforts won’t matter, what I want doesn’t matter and that there isn’t some opportunity out there that is not only within my grasp or available to me.

Hey.

But that’s me.