This analysis explores the impact of conspiracy beliefs and labeling others as paranoid, highlighting cultural implications.
I have a fascination with conspiracy theories as evidenced by my enjoyment of films like The Parallax View and television series like The X-Files. Yet I am quite happy at times to see some views as paranoid, usually those I disagree with. I don’t think I am alone in this, and in such apparent contradiction I believe we can learn something about the ambivalent relationship Western culture has with both conspiracy theories and paranoia. I want to examine some of the effects of both taking on a conspiratorial position and of positioning the Other (individual, group, or nation) as paranoid. In other words, what do we do by believing in conspiracy theories and what do we do when we call others “paranoid”?
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David Harper (2000) studied this question.
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