Why do people believe weird things?

1. 68

   Arthur Windermereposted 13 years ago

   Why do people believe weird things?
   
   I know someone who genuinely believes in faeries. Some people believe Uri Geller really bends spoons with his mind. Some people believe Jesus and the Greek gods were aliens. Some people believe the Queen of England is an evil reptilian creature in disguise. (Google "David Icke.") And the weirdness certainly doesn't stop there. Just because an idea is weird doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. I'm curious about why you think people come to believe such odd things.
   Feel free to take your answer in any direction that seems right.

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2. 61

   Umanandaposted 13 years ago

   Probably its because, we humans crave for something out of ordinary. Also the beliefs do vary from person to person.
   
   This weird things may be "weird" but they spark enough curiosity for people to find out whether they are true or not.

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3. 60

   Anti-Matterposted 13 years ago

   My best guess would be to make life interesting. How fun is talking about the Queen of England? How fun is talking about the evil reptilian creature we know as the Queen of England and what her evil plans might be?

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4. 60

   outdoorsguyposted 13 years ago

   maybe.. some people feel a need to experience the wonder and magic that they once held as a child.  maybe the world just seems to concrete and endless and it offers them a bit of mystery to spice up their lives.   
   
   Id say its the same reason Sci FI movies and stuff do so well, the small box the world is in is suddenly opened to a myriad of what if's.  and instead of Worry about bills, taxes, making the significant other happy or finding a significant other.   you find a new world with something other than a starbucks or McDonalds around the corner. 
   
   as the saying goes.. " every thing is possible, but most things arent very probable"

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5. 59

   bagumbayanposted 13 years ago

   They believe on so many things like fairies, sorcery, withc craft, occultism, astrology, etc.  because they do not the  teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ.  Those belief is an abomination in the sight of God, God commanded us to stay away from them not even think of it.  It is one of the way satan entice you to believe and do so.  Accept Jesus Christ and read the Bible.  Live to do His will. and God will protect you from all lies and deception.

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6. 61

   eilander1542011posted 13 years ago

   The best point you made Arthur Wndermere in the your question was the fact that "just because an idea is weird doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong". I applaud you for adding that in there, because many people would over-look it as significant. People believe "weird" things because they want to. For some reason those things make more sense to them than what everyone else believes about a particular subject. But even Galileo believed in something "weird" when he suggested that the  sun was the center of the universe. So we must remember that many times these "weird" things may one day not be so "weird" to the entire population. There are many realms beyond us, that we could only hope to become conscious of, let alone explore and understand. So when somebody believes in something "weird" all they are rally doing is admitting that it is possible. Lewis Carrol once wrote "sometimes I believe 6 impossible things before breakfast." It is those people that actually make our major advancements, because they are willing to push the envelope.

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7. 61

   pjk_artistposted 13 years ago

   I think because we are all dreaming.... Like Neo in The Matrix.
   We sense somethings not quite right with our reality so we try to figure it out.

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8. 68

   onegoodwomanposted 13 years ago

   And I believe ( among other things) that I am the greatest woman that my hubby has ever met.  I believe that I am the 'favorite' child of my parents, even though it must remain a family secret.  I also believe that you get out of life what you put into it, that haste makes waste, that simplicity serves us all, that anytime anyone says, "my dog is like my child", it insults all children,everywhere.
   
   I believe in freedom, that voicing your opinion in a civilized manner should be without reprecussion, and voting.
   
   I believe that thinking differently and saying so, and humiliating someone for what they believe are different things.
   
   I believe that Jesus is the only begotten son of God and He was sacrificed on the cross to redeem me and those like me.
   
   See, how weird I am!

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9. 60

   Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years ago

   This is how you come to Believe ... when you are using the Wrong Tools of Understanding ... meaning, the Tool of "Known Reality" ... as Defined by Mythology, Philosophy, or Sciences.
   
   It may never be so, for Logics, Sciences and Mythologies, to come up with tangible Proof of a God... of your liking.
   
   I think, it makes far more sense, for us to Believe in God ... since we have been Granted the Freedom to Believe ... than, to believe in a lot of nonsenses.

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10. 74

    Mikel G Robertsposted 13 years ago

    Because humans love Awe.
    
    We love finding new things. Be that new inventions, new lands, new worlds, or new flavors of old ones. By examining the weird stuff, we discover the new stuff. People, while examing the "weird" ideas, sometimes find some small spark of truth in the "weird" thought or idea. This spark of truth nags at them to look closer at an accepted idea and in so doing, sometimes, they find a previously undiscovered flaw in the accepted non-weird thing. The new thing is "weird" only because it takes us (humanity) a little while to process the new "flavor" of the changed idea, or new technology or new thought process. Sometimes what we discover is that the weird idea is just that, weird, and flawed. But people will sometimes cling to the obviously flawed "weird/non-weird" idea because it inspires awe in them, or because it comforts them in some way.
    
    Belief in magic, miracles, fairies and fairy tales... of things greater than ourselves... of new things, new technologies, and new ideas, inspire us with the awe of "what if" and is how we grow.
    
    Without the dreamer dreaming up some "weird" thing, we would never find anything new. We would never discover truth as opposed to popularly accepted beliefs.
    
    ...history has taught us that what seems weird/improbable/unpopular today might just become proven/true/accepted and non-weird tomorrow.
    
    Weird beliefs:
    The world is not flat.
    The Earth is not the center of the universe.
    Aliens exist.
    Humans can fly.
    Evolution.
    Jesus is the son of God.
    Invisible pink unicorns exist.
    Bigfoot knows where they are.

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11. 71

    lorlie6posted 10 years ago

    People believe weird things because they choose to.  Religion, the Government, etc, are great examples of weirdness-it's all magical thinking.
    These beliefs are soothing to the human soul and mind, and provide comfort.
    
    Great question...

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