# Why Do People Persist in Weird Beliefs

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/psychology-takeaway-podcast-7255442/why-do-people-persist-in-weird-beliefs
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/psychology-takeaway-podcast-7255442/why-do-people-persist-in-weird-beliefs.md
Podcast: [Psychology Takeaway Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/psychology-takeaway-podcast-7255442)
Published: 2026-02-27T15:44:22+00:00
Episode link: https://psychologytakeaway.podbean.com/e/why-do-people-persist-in-weird-beliefs/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/35cmx5xp34i7gzqg/Friday_February_27_2026_at_10_02_07_AM_default_3c7106d8ar3nf.m4a
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Duration seconds: 1522

## Resource

Consider these recent news breakers: Y2K and the end of the world as we know it. UFO’s , we are not alone. Vaccines cause Autism. While there is no objective evidence for these concerns, they have motivated human behavior during this and the past century. Jim and Ralph attribute this false belief to several factors: A Convergence Model Imagine a person encountering an ambiguous event: An unexplained aerial video circulates online. A government statement acknowledges uncertainty. Commentators disagree publicly. Now consider the psychological environment: A person already feels social change accelerating. (Uncertainty) Their peer group prizes skepticism toward institutions. (Identity) Headlines emphasize geopolitical threat. (Fear) Institutional trust is low. (Distrust) Each factor alone might not produce firm conviction. Together, they create momentum. LEARN MORE Short video about weird thought: https://youtu.be/5vOECJ6uu2E?si=5_n42G6_iT0tgArg Conspiracy: https://youtu.be/3VEkzweBJPM?si=w0-RVZwGMRlh9jtC You can get Jim’s book Oak Island Obsession on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/00GZb8lz

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## Transcript

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