There and better and worse variants, but the fundamental issue I’m identifying is the tendency to want to believe ‘good stories’. I think it’s a profoundly human flaw, related to our evolution and history as a species that tells stories to transmit information. We believe a good story. It’s pleasurable to lose yourself in story. You remember good stories. But a story being ‘good’ has little and less to do with it being true.

While we’re discussing this issue in the light of conspiracy theories with no basis, I think the flaw extends to all domains of human life where communication and evaluation are necessary.