A British man by the name of Gary McKinnon, who ten years ago hacked into NASA and US military computers (apparently damaging some of them in the process) was spared from being extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom by United Kingdom Home Secretary Theresa May.
Now the reason cited for this isn't because the crimes he has been accused committing wasn't enough extradite him. The reason stated is because he has Asperger's syndrome (which is a mild form autism) and depression, and it has been determined that there is a high likely that if he were to be brought over here that he would most likely try to commit suicide.
Now many of you are probably asking why exactly did he hack into NASA and US military computers in the first place?
Well apparently back when he did this (which was about ten years ago) he was obsessed with UFOs and a alleged cover-up by our government, so he hacked into our government and military computers to find out any information about aliens that he believed the United States was covering up.
I have no doubt in my mind that Gary's autism caused him to become so obsessed with these UFO cover-up conspiracy theories that it caused him to do something that most people who do not have this neurological disorder, or any other type of neurological or mental disorder, would not do.
But, the existence of these conspiracy theories, and those who promote them, are also partially to blame as well.
Now most people don't take these UFO conspiracy theories that seriously. They might believe in it, but they usually don't obsessed with it to the point where they would commit a crime. Heck, I even once believed in them, but I never took it seriously enough to even buy a book on UFOs, much less do something that is as highly illegal as what Gary McKinnon is accused of doing (he admits to hacking into our computers, but not damaging them) but, if these conspiracy theories didn't exist then people who are like Gary who can become obsessed to the point where they have a great amount of difficulty controlling themselves and their actions, and thus they do stuff like this.
In my opinion this is another example of how destructive conspiracy theories can be, and how it can cause a person to rune their life.
The Slate article about this story
Gary's Wikipedia article
Showing posts with label Destructive Behavior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Destructive Behavior. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
6 Ways to tell if a Conspiracy Theorist posting on the Internet is Mentally Disturbed
If anyone has ever encountered a conspiracy theorist on the internet, then you know that some of them can be quite intense people, even to the point where you might believe that they are mentally disturbed.
So here now is a list of six ways to tell if a conspiracy theorist that you see posting on the internet might be mentally disturbed:
(Author's note: it should be noted that there is a difference between being mentally ill and mentally disturbed. Mental illness is actually far more common then most people might think. In fact, one-in-four people in the United States has some type of mental illness. You might even know someone who has a mental illness and not even know it. What mental illness is, is something that happens to a person's mind or brain to cause them to act and think irrationally, and they can usually recognize the negative impact it is having on them and their life. As for someone who is mentally disturbed, they also might think and act irrationally, but their irrationality would be in a much more volatile and disturbing manner, and they might be so far gone that they do not realize this.
Also, just because person's posts might indicate that they are mentally disturbed, it doesn't mean that they are in fact mentally disturbed, they could just be a troll, but even a troll can still be mentally disturbed.)
6. Incoherence
Basically speaking, whatever messages they post either barely make any sense, or makes no sense what so ever. This can be a gradual thing, where if you're having an argument with the conspiracy theorist, over time they can begin making less and less sense as they grow more frustrated and angry because you're not agreeing with them, or they're just incoherent out right.
5. Volatile & Vileness
Some conspiracy theorists, especially those who might be mentally disturbed, can become extremely angry in a second, especially when confronted with evidence that the conspiracy theories that they believe in are in fact false. It's quite common for people who are like this to post messages that are best described as either being threatening, insulting, and at the very least, disturbing. Sometimes they'll even make threats against public officials and institutions, or just the people they're arguing with.
4. Paranoia
If a conspiracy theorist argues how everything the media says is a lie, how the government constantly spreads dis-information, and how debunkers are government dis-information agents, and how banks and corporations are controlling the world, then they are probably paranoid. While this might actually be quite common for a conspiracy theorist, some will go on about how you need to prepare, such as by buying all the guns and ammo you can, to building a bunker and living in isolation. They might also not buy certain things, or from certain business, or put their money in a bank account, because they don't trust them.
Some conspiracy theorists who are extremely paranoid will even believe in very bizarre conspiracy theories, or won't even trust their own family. The most paranoid conspiracy theorists most likely wouldn't even use the internet in the first place, because they fear that the government will use it to track them down and harm them.
3. Obsession
For some conspiracy theorists, conspiracy theories can take over their lives. They become obsessed not only with conspiracy theories, but proving that they are real. Some will even abandon their families, or more likely, their families will abandon them, because of their obsession.
It's pretty easy to spot a conspiracy theorist on the internet that is obsessed with conspiracy theories, because they won't stop posting about a conspiracy theory until they are convinced that you are convinced that the conspiracy theory that they are talking about is real, or that they have convinced themselves that they have "debunked" a debunking of a conspiracy theory, or they're kicked off of a website, and even then, because of their obsessive needs, they'll constantly try to find a way to get back in.
2. Unable to see the harm in their actions
A conspiracy theorist who is mentally disturbed might not be able to see or figure out that their own actions are harmful, even if what they are posting might be considered illegal. They tend to not to be able to figure out why everyone is making such a big deal over the way they're acting. Some will even admit that their own friends and family have distanced themselves from them, or that they have distanced themselves from their friends and family because they will not accept what he or she believes in.
1. Admits having a Mental Illness
Some conspiracy theorists will admit that they actually are mental ill, but usually the mental illness that they admit to having is usually anxiety based, which can come about after watching and/or experiencing a traumatic event, such as an act of terrorism, or a mass shooting.
So here now is a list of six ways to tell if a conspiracy theorist that you see posting on the internet might be mentally disturbed:
(Author's note: it should be noted that there is a difference between being mentally ill and mentally disturbed. Mental illness is actually far more common then most people might think. In fact, one-in-four people in the United States has some type of mental illness. You might even know someone who has a mental illness and not even know it. What mental illness is, is something that happens to a person's mind or brain to cause them to act and think irrationally, and they can usually recognize the negative impact it is having on them and their life. As for someone who is mentally disturbed, they also might think and act irrationally, but their irrationality would be in a much more volatile and disturbing manner, and they might be so far gone that they do not realize this.
Also, just because person's posts might indicate that they are mentally disturbed, it doesn't mean that they are in fact mentally disturbed, they could just be a troll, but even a troll can still be mentally disturbed.)
6. Incoherence
Basically speaking, whatever messages they post either barely make any sense, or makes no sense what so ever. This can be a gradual thing, where if you're having an argument with the conspiracy theorist, over time they can begin making less and less sense as they grow more frustrated and angry because you're not agreeing with them, or they're just incoherent out right.
5. Volatile & Vileness
Some conspiracy theorists, especially those who might be mentally disturbed, can become extremely angry in a second, especially when confronted with evidence that the conspiracy theories that they believe in are in fact false. It's quite common for people who are like this to post messages that are best described as either being threatening, insulting, and at the very least, disturbing. Sometimes they'll even make threats against public officials and institutions, or just the people they're arguing with.
4. Paranoia
If a conspiracy theorist argues how everything the media says is a lie, how the government constantly spreads dis-information, and how debunkers are government dis-information agents, and how banks and corporations are controlling the world, then they are probably paranoid. While this might actually be quite common for a conspiracy theorist, some will go on about how you need to prepare, such as by buying all the guns and ammo you can, to building a bunker and living in isolation. They might also not buy certain things, or from certain business, or put their money in a bank account, because they don't trust them.
Some conspiracy theorists who are extremely paranoid will even believe in very bizarre conspiracy theories, or won't even trust their own family. The most paranoid conspiracy theorists most likely wouldn't even use the internet in the first place, because they fear that the government will use it to track them down and harm them.
3. Obsession
For some conspiracy theorists, conspiracy theories can take over their lives. They become obsessed not only with conspiracy theories, but proving that they are real. Some will even abandon their families, or more likely, their families will abandon them, because of their obsession.
It's pretty easy to spot a conspiracy theorist on the internet that is obsessed with conspiracy theories, because they won't stop posting about a conspiracy theory until they are convinced that you are convinced that the conspiracy theory that they are talking about is real, or that they have convinced themselves that they have "debunked" a debunking of a conspiracy theory, or they're kicked off of a website, and even then, because of their obsessive needs, they'll constantly try to find a way to get back in.
2. Unable to see the harm in their actions
A conspiracy theorist who is mentally disturbed might not be able to see or figure out that their own actions are harmful, even if what they are posting might be considered illegal. They tend to not to be able to figure out why everyone is making such a big deal over the way they're acting. Some will even admit that their own friends and family have distanced themselves from them, or that they have distanced themselves from their friends and family because they will not accept what he or she believes in.
1. Admits having a Mental Illness
Some conspiracy theorists will admit that they actually are mental ill, but usually the mental illness that they admit to having is usually anxiety based, which can come about after watching and/or experiencing a traumatic event, such as an act of terrorism, or a mass shooting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)