Thought For The Day

SAYS HERE in Tom O'Neill's new book, Chaos (ISBN 978-0316477550), that...

"I knew I WANTED to believe him -- and that put me at risk of falling into the great trap of conspiracy theorists, who believe in grand plots simply because they make the world a more fascinating place."

NOW LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE HERE.

Does that really make sense?

Consider your run-of-the-mill SCHIZOPHRENIC who is often bursting with conspiracy theories that TERRORIZE the poor sap.  He or she believes (for instance) that the FBI is hot on the patient's trail, inserting unbearable thoughts or reporting them all to the Vatican or some damned thing.  Is that an attractive idea at all?  No, not to the owner of those thoughts nor to the other poor saps who waste endless time and energy trying to talk him or her OUT of believing it.  

No, that schizophrenic created this set of ideas and CLINGS to them with a fanatic's desperation because, as loopy as they are, they seem to make SENSE of the circumstances of the person's life.

They are a way of imposing Order on the Chaos, see?  A schizophrenic has bitten that golden apple and is in a state of extreme discord, so troubling that even that bizarre story seems to make more sense than the mismatched pieces they're struggling with.  They'll tell you RIGHT UP FRONT "I know this sounds crazy and you won't believe me, but..."  and then they launch into that theory, often so complicated they, the authors of the wretched story, can't even keep it straight themselves.  

Even the wildest story is usually a SEARCH FOR ORDER AMID CHAOS.

That's what O'Neill's book is all about, in fact.  I'm in the middle of it now which is what led me to write this entry.  It's a gripping read.  EXCUSE ME WHILE I PLUNGE BACK DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE.