The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Conspiracy Theories -- And How To Protect Yourself

Episode Date: November 19, 2020

I've been holding on to the idea of this talk for about a month -- figured now was a good time to drop it.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here with the latest episode of the Bridge Daily. It is Thursday of week 36. And you know, I've been called a lot of things in my life. I'll ignore the bad ones. There have been lots of those. And I'll instead dwell on the more positive, on some of the nice things that I've been called over the years.

You know, I'm proud, obviously extremely proud, of being called the Chief Correspondent of CBC News, Anchor of the National, Anchor of CBC News Specials. Those were all very nice things to be called. I've also been called an officer of the Order of Canada. And I'm very proud of that recognition. If there's only one thing about that that I wish had happened

was that my parents had still been alive when I was awarded that Order of Canada. And that was unfortunate, but I think somehow they, up there, they saw it somewhere. Chancellor of the university at Mount Allison in Sackville, New Brunswick. In fact, I'm now a Chancellor Emeritus

at Mount Allison University. So those are nice. They're all nice. There are others, but really, this isn't about me. However, I got one additional title yesterday, along with my good friend and colleague, Mark Bulgich. The two of us, as you've heard me talking about more than a little bit in the last few weeks, we came out with a new book, Extraordinary Canadians, that we're very proud of.

And we're pretty excited because yesterday, after only a week on bookshelves across Canada, at both the chain stores, you know, like Indigo and Amazon and Walmart and Costco, also at independent bookstores across the country from coast to coast to coast. So after only a week on the market, the best seller list came out yesterday, the latest ones. And, you know, we were hoping that we might crack the top 10 best sellers. Well, we actually did that and more. We were the number one seller in both general non-fiction, in other words, all books in Canada that are being sold

under the non-fiction banner, so they could be from anywhere in the world. And number one in that category and therefore also number one in Canadian nonfiction. So we're now called number one best-selling authors. And you can never take that away from someone, right? Once you achieve that status, you've got that status forever. You may drop off quickly, perhaps. We're definitely going to drop off quickly on the general nonfiction list.

In other words, books coming in from other parts of the world because Barack Obama is now selling with his memoirs, and they are, of course, nonfiction. And we are, and everyone else, is going to get absolutely flattened by Obama book sales. They're going to be, like, enormous. But that's okay. That's all right.

Being on the same list with the former president, Mark and I will be more than happy with that. And we'll try to maintain some position in the Canadian nonfiction section. But this week, number one. Number one bestselling authors. So that immediately goes now into my biog Can't take that away That'll always be there

And who would have thunk it, right? Who would have thought That baggage handler from Churchill could be a Best-selling author Or an author of any kind. We're selling whatever, an author. You got to love it, and I do. Anyway, as I said earlier, enough about me.

Now, what are we going to talk about today? Well, there's always something to talk about, as you know, on The Bridge Daily. And today, I want to talk about something that I actually saw about a month ago. And I put it aside and said, there's going to be a day where I want to talk about this. And as it turns out, this is the day. It's based on an article that was in the Washington Post in the middle of October. And the title was Conspiracy Theories, Why Some People Are Susceptible, and How to Protect Yourself. I was intrigued by the title and intrigued by the article, and so I've been thinking

about it over the last little while, and I'm going to deal with some of it today. Because right around, I guess it was right around that time, I was listening to a podcast from Britain that I like to listen to. It's a history-related podcast. I listen, you know, I love history. I love different podcasts. I listen to Dan Snow's podcast a lot. who's in Britain a friend of mine we've co-hosted some shows before in the past and so Dan does his thing with his history hits podcast but there's another one by a couple of chaps called we have ways to make you talk which is an intriguing title but really it's We Have Ways to Make You Talk, which is an intriguing title, but really it's basically just two guys yakking away,

kind of like Bruce and I do on occasion, about, in their case, history. And they deal with everything from, you know, the D-Day landings to William the Conqueror. You know, they do it all. And they just sit there and talk. And I find it fascinating, especially when I'm off for a walk. Anyway, they were talking about something in this podcast I was listening to about a month ago.

And the issue of conspiracy theories came up, and neither one of them has any time for conspiracy theories. So one asked the other, well, what, you know, like, who are these people who believe in conspiracy theories? So the other guy says, well, you know, I once heard this quote. A conspiracy theorist is an idiot who wants to sound like an intellectual. A conspiracy theorist is an idiot who wants to sound like an intellectual. And I thought, that's a great quote.

So I immediately wrote it down. And the other guy said, who said that? The guy who mentioned it said, you know, I can't remember. I don't know who said it. So, of course, that prompted a number of responses from their listeners, most of which were, yeah, yeah, we know who said it. You said it. You just don't want to associate yourself with the authorship of that line.

He said, no, no, no, I heard somebody say it. I can't remember who it was. So I thought, okay, I'm going to throw it out there. So I put it on social media and I said, who said this? A conspiracy theorist is an idiot who wants to sound like an intellectual, and you know what? I got lots of replies, none of them with ideas of who said it, although they pointed at me.

They said, come on, Mansbridge, you said it. You're just afraid to claim authorship. So I don't know. I don't know where it came from. I don't know who said it. But I like it. I think that's a great line. So let's go from there to this article Angela Hout wrote it for the Washington Post

here's how she started as the novel coronavirus began to spread so did the idea that 5G networks were to blame, or Bill Gates, or a ring of satanic pedophiles trying to divert attention from itself. Perhaps the virus was created in a lab as a bioweapon, or by pharmaceutical companies to boost sales of drugs and vaccines. More recently, the rumors fixated on President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. Believers in QAnon, for example, tweeted that arrests of his deep state enemies were going to occur while he was in isolation. Well, none, of course, of that is true. Conspiracy theories such as these, and this is just continuing on a bit with Angela's reporting, conspiracy theories such as these swirl around us like noxious germs, targeting the mind instead of the body.

And in the same way that our immune system can leave us more vulnerable to pathogens, our emotional state can make us more open to false and potentially harmful beliefs. People who feel scared, confused, alone, and under siege are especially at risk of coming under the sway of conspiracy theories, experts say. But there are steps we can take to protect ourselves from these dangerous ideas. And we're going to get to those in a moment. I'm trying to remember when I first started hearing about conspiracy theories in, you know, a significant way. And I would was somewhere around 1963-64. I was 15. And John Kennedy had just been assassinated.

One man was picked up, Lee Harvey Oswald, who was then himself assassinated two days later. And the conspiracy theory started, if not with the first shot, certainly with the second shot. They started that weekend and they kind of exploded. And they resulted in dozens and dozens and dozens of books and films and you name it. People made a living out of conspiracy theories circulating around the JFK assassination. And I was vulnerable to that for sure. I bought a lot of those books.

I read a lot of those books. I watched all those movies. Listened to speeches. And I was a believer that there was a lot more to the story than we were seeing as a result of the Warren Commission. But that certainly fed the conspiracy theory industry. I can remember going to Dallas, Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was driving through when he was shot. And there were all these guys selling stuff,

T-shirts and books and CDs and DVDs, all based on conspiracy theories. I was in the Texas School Book Depository building a couple of times where Lee Harvey Oswald had been working and where he fired his rifle from, if you believe the Warren Commission story. So I saw all the angles and I heard all the stories and all that. And I got to say, it wasn't until, I don't know, 10 or 15 years ago

that I finally decided, you know, all this conspiracy stuff is hogwash. It's just another industry. I'm going with the Warren Commission story. But between the JFK assassination and today, there have been literally well, thousands of conspiracy theories on various things. Everything to the U.S. government was responsible for 9-11. You know, some pretty

twisted theories. But they persist, and they've certainly persisted in this time that we're living in now. Whether it's been about the pandemic, or whether it's been about the voting system in the United States, you name it. There are all kinds of conspiracy theories fed and nourished by, often by people on social media. And so back to this article for a minute, because we're going to get to some of Angela's list of how you can make yourself less susceptible, how you can protect yourself from conspiracy theories. But let me read a couple more lines because there's some interesting stuff here.

The first thing you've got to do is understand where these ideas come from. Conspiracy theories tend to flourish in times of crisis, says Karen Douglas, a social psychologist at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, who focuses on belief in conspiracy theories. That's her thing. That's what she does at the University of Kent.

Humans have an innate need for knowledge and certainty to feel safe, secure, and in control and to feel good about ourselves and the groups we belong to, she adds. When these needs are frustrated, conspiracy theories might seem to offer some kind of relief. Rather than thinking that a worldwide pandemic can be sparked by one tiny pathogen's random leap from animal to human, some might find it more comforting to believe the virus was man-made in a lab. According to an August study in the Amazon Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the coronavirus pandemic has generated more than 2,000 rumors, conspiracy theories, and other false claims.

As wacky as some of these ideas are, they can have serious consequences, the study said. Misinformation can undermine health officials and prevent people from seeking necessary treatment. And we've certainly seen that occur as a result of COVID-19. All right. Now, here are some of the things that Angela Hout in this piece in the Washington Post suggests you might consider if you feel that you're getting overwhelmed by some of this stuff, I was going to call it garbage, the conspiracy theories that are constantly floating around there. So she names half a dozen or so things that you can do to protect yourself.

So let me run through them. Turn off the news or whatever else is making you anxious. Uninstall Twitter from your phone and those 24-7 news alerts turn off notifications. Think of it as watching what you put in your head the same way you watch what you put in your body. Now, a lot of us are addicted to all those suggestions in item number one of the things you could do. Turn off the news? Sure, I'm just going to turn off the news. I don't know whether I could do that. I've been watching news for almost all my life. But I have tended, especially in the last couple of weeks, to watch a lot less cable news, which is constant, obviously.

It's 24-7. But, you know, you've got to give yourself a break from some of this stuff. That's why I so enjoyed The Crown this week. Finished it last night. I won't say anything. I won't tell you what happened. Actually, you probably should know already. If you're interested enough to watch The Crown, you know the story. But it was still, I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed it. But I digress. So those things you can do. Turn your television off. Turn the news off. Uninstall Twitter from your phone. I mean, that's where a lot of the garbage is. And 24-7 news alerts, I mean, you can get beeps on your phone every couple of minutes. That'll drive you crazy. So turn off the notifications. Okay, that's one area you can look at.

Here's a second. Practice critical thinking. People often believe in conspiracy theories because of lazy thinking, says Nadia Brashear, a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, who studies why people fall for fake news and misinformation. We need to be nudged to consider whether the claims in front of us are accurate. So slowing down and asking yourself, is this information biased or unlikely to be true, can be really helpful.

Although many conspiracy theory believers consider themselves to be critical thinkers. Can I go back to that quote? A conspiracy theorist is an idiot who wants to sound like an intellectual. Don't know who said it. Sorry, I go back to this line in the piece. Although many conspiracy theory believers consider themselves to be critical thinkers, closely examining their evidence might help them see otherwise. For example, does all the conspiracy theory related material come from one type of source, while non-conspiracy theory information comes from different sources, that can be a clue that something, you know, doesn't smell right. I like this one. Change your perspective. Try thinking about a situation that triggers

negative feelings in a way that will change its emotional impact. For example, parents might point out to a child who's struggling with staying at home for an extended period of time that isolation is often part of an adventure. In fact, astronauts train for it. That new perspective can help reframe the experience into something more positive. There's another one I like. Connect and consult.

Feeling isolated and disconnected, emotions plenty of people have struggled with during the pandemic, are primary reasons people fall for conspiracy theories. Make an effort to remain connected and remember that social distancing doesn't have to mean social isolation. Watch the same movie as a friend is watching, even if you're in different places. Or schedule a Zoom book club meeting. Make plans to meet outdoors, at a park, for example. It's starting to get a little cold for that, although I hear the weather's going to be nice for the next few days. If you do become intrigued by a conspiracy theory, talk to others before you decide it's valid.

Think through all the wise and sound people you know and trust. Think about your peers and mentors. Are they following this conspiracy theory? Check it out and see if they're thinking along those lines as well. And here's some, just to close it off, I'm not reading the whole article here. I'll point you in the direction if you want to read it all. It's great. Certainly got me thinking. The last couple of things are very basic. Take good care of yourself. Eat well. Exercise every day. Get enough sleep. You've heard all that before,

but sometimes it's the seemingly simple things that are really hard, such as taking medications as prescribed, keeping an eye on alcohol consumption. Just as not getting enough sleep can make us overwhelmed and snappy the next day. It can also leave us with spiraling thoughts. Trying to keep your equilibrium on that level is a good way of protecting yourself from feeling strong emotions. And finally, accept the circumstances. There's not a lot we can control about the pandemic or wildfires or other major stressors these days, so it can be freeing to stop trying to fight these negative feelings and just accept them. Calming strategies such as deep breathing and meditation can help,

or consider acceptance and commitment therapy, a therapeutic approach to learning to make peace with your circumstances. Okay, those last two are kind of going deep on this issue of conspiracy theories and how to protect yourself. But I found all of that intriguing and interesting and helpful. I don't get tempted anymore by conspiracy theories, for the most part, except clearly somebody is doing something to prevent the Leafs from winning the Stanley Cup each year. I mean, you can't go 50-odd years and not win

unless somebody from the outside is doing something. But overall, the stuff is a dime a dozen these days for a variety of different reasons. And maybe those ideas can condition you to dealing with them in some constructive way. All right. A single-focus podcast today from your number one best-selling author in the nonfiction category, along with my colleague and friend, Mark Bulgich. You know, it's just what we do.

And we're going to enjoy it until that Obama book comes along and crushes us. But that's okay. Nice guy. I've sat there with him. I interviewed him in the White House. I said, you know what? You should write a book.

No, I didn't. All right. That's enough for this day, Thursday of week 36. We're going to be back at it again tomorrow. I haven't really decided what to do tomorrow. I'm going to flip through the letters. Most letters are from you folks who want book plates. Keep in mind that I'm out of book plates.

You will get them if you write in. You'll still get one. But I'm waiting for a new shipment of book plates to arrive. So go out there and, you know, buy 10 books. Great Christmas gift. Just give one to every one of your friends. I think there should be extraordinary Canadians in every house

and every condo and every apartment. That would be extraordinary. So don't be shy. Could I be more shameless? Probably not. Alright. That's it for could I be more shameless? Probably not. All right. That's it for this edition.

You're saying, okay, thank you, Peter. That's it for this edition of the Bridge Daily. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening. And as you know, we will be back in 24 hours.