Eight Kinds of Conspiracy Theorist

Conspiracy theories are spreading faster than ever and causing real damage to America, says journalist Jonathan Kay. His new book, Among the Truthers, describes' his two-year "journey through America's growing conspiracist underground." Part of the book explains conspiracism historically – as a reaction, in part, to big national traumas, like wars or assassinations; but the heart of the book,  a section titled "Why They Believe," looks into the psychology of conspiracism – that is, what makes individuals believe seemingly nutjob theories. He comes up with a field guide that breaks conspiracy theorists down into eight distinct types, as you'll see in the following slides.

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