As a skeptic, I often have an experience that many people will find familiar. I’m talking to someone. They tell me something I know is wrong. and I explain why it is wrong. They refuse to believe me. I continue to try, sometimes over days or weeks. They still won’t get it, and sometimes their false belief becomes even stronger. What is wrong with them?
The inability of the true believer to see reason is a frustrating puzzle. One of the most common questions I get in interviews is “why do people fall for conspiracy theories?” I explain that it’s often just a chain of chance, circumstances, and being in an unsettled time in their life with too much spare time. But that’s not the “why” the interviewer is looking for. They want to know what is wrong with the conspiracy theorist. Specifically what is mentally wrong with them.