You might think people with advanced degrees would be immune to believing in UFOs, astrology, or conspiracy theories. But intelligence doesn’t always protect against irrational beliefs.
Smart people believe weird things because they’re skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons. They use their reasoning abilities to justify ideas they adopted through emotion, social pressure, or personal experience, not evidence.
The problem isn’t a lack of facts or education. Studies show no correlation between science knowledge and paranormal beliefs.
Students who scored well on science tests were just as likely to believe in pseudoscientific claims as those who scored poorly. People rarely weigh evidence before forming beliefs.
Most folks form opinions based on upbringing, peer influence, and personal experiences. Then they use confirmation bias to find information that supports what they already believe.
Education alone provides no protection against paranormal beliefs. College graduates often hold just as many irrational beliefs as high school graduates in plenty of categories.
Key Takeaways
- Intelligence helps people rationalize weird beliefs rather than prevent them
- Confirmation bias leads people to ignore evidence that contradicts existing beliefs
- Understanding how science works matters more than memorizing scientific facts
Defining Weird Beliefs and Smart People
To understand this paradox, we need clear definitions of both “weird beliefs” and what makes someone “smart.” These terms are more slippery than they seem and have shifted a lot over time and across cultures.
What Constitutes a Weird Belief?
Weird beliefs are ideas that contradict established scientific evidence or mainstream acceptance within a society. These beliefs usually lack empirical support, though people still hold them with strong conviction.
Common examples? Belief in UFOs as alien spacecraft, ESP, astrology as a predictive science, and various conspiracy theories. The National Science Foundation found that 30 percent of Americans believe UFOs are space vehicles from other civilizations.
Key characteristics of weird beliefs:
- Lack of empirical evidence supporting the claim
- Resistance to falsification when presented with contrary evidence
- Reliance on anecdotal evidence rather than controlled studies
- Appeal to supernatural or pseudoscientific explanations
The label “weird” depends a lot on cultural context. What’s normal in one society can seem bizarre in another.
Religious beliefs, for instance, are widely accepted within their communities but might look strange to outsiders. It’s all pretty subjective.
Operationalizing Intelligence and Smartness
Intelligence covers a lot of ground—reasoning, problem-solving, memory, analytical thinking. IQ tests measure some of it, but they miss things like creativity and emotional intelligence.
Common indicators of intelligence:
- High scores on standardized tests (SAT, GRE, IQ assessments)
- Advanced academic degrees from prestigious institutions
- Professional achievements in complex fields
- Recognition through awards like the Nobel Prize
Mensa membership, which requires top 2% IQ scores, is one benchmark. Still, even Nobel Prize winners and Mensa members sometimes believe things that go against scientific consensus.
The line between intelligence and wisdom matters a lot here. Someone can be great at logic but not apply it to extraordinary claims. Raw brainpower doesn’t always mean skeptical thinking or scientific literacy.
Changing Perceptions Over Time
What we consider “weird” keeps changing. Some ideas once dismissed as pseudoscience become accepted, and old mainstream beliefs fade away.
Continental drift theory, for example, faced ridicule for decades before geological evidence proved it right. On the flip side, practices like bloodletting and phrenology fell out of favor as science advanced.
This history adds uncertainty about what we believe now. It also gives modern pseudoscientific claims room to argue, “Hey, people laughed at Galileo too.”
Today, science demands controlled experiments, peer review, and replication. Claims that once seemed plausible now need much stronger evidence to get taken seriously.
Social media and information bubbles have changed how weird beliefs spread among educated folks. Smart people can now find sophisticated-sounding support for nearly anything, no matter how out-there it is.
The Psychology Behind Weird Beliefs
The human mind relies on mental shortcuts and patterns that can lead even smart people to accept false ideas. These psychological processes work automatically, so intelligence doesn’t always help you dodge thinking errors.
Role of Cognitive Biases
Cognitive biases act like invisible filters. They shape how we process information. These shortcuts helped our ancestors survive, but now they can trip us up.
Pattern-seeking behavior makes us see connections that aren’t really there. The brain loves to create stories to explain random events.
That’s why people see faces in clouds or hear hidden messages in songs played backward. Our brains just can’t help it sometimes.
Availability bias makes recent or memorable events seem more likely to happen again. If you hear about a plane crash, you might overestimate how risky flying is.
The most vivid examples stick in memory and sway our decisions. It’s not always logical, but it’s human.
Anchoring bias locks us onto the first bit of information we hear. If someone says vaccines cause autism, that idea can stick, even after hearing evidence to the contrary.
Intelligence can actually make these biases stronger. Smart people often come up with more complex reasons to defend their biases.
Confirmation Bias and Logical Fallacies
Smart people defend beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons. They use their intelligence to hunt for evidence that backs up what they already think.
Confirmation bias makes us seek information that matches our existing beliefs. We ignore or dismiss what doesn’t fit.
If you’re convinced by a conspiracy theory, you’ll focus on suspicious details and overlook simpler explanations. That’s just how the mind works sometimes.
Common logical fallacies include:
- False cause fallacy: Assuming one event caused another just because they happened together
- Appeal to authority: Believing something because an expert said it, even outside their field
- Strawman argument: Attacking a distorted version of someone’s actual position
Intellectual attribution bias kicks in when people credit their superior reasoning for beliefs they actually formed through emotion or social pressure. It’s a sneaky thing.
Cognitive Dissonance and Rationalization
Cognitive dissonance is that mental discomfort you feel when beliefs clash with new information. The mind usually resolves this by changing the facts instead of the belief.
Rationalization helps people keep their worldview intact, even when faced with contradictory evidence. Someone who believes in psychic powers might explain failed predictions by blaming negative energy.
Smart people tend to be especially good at rationalization. They can build elaborate explanations to defend their views.
Motivated reasoning happens when people work backward from the outcome they want. They judge evidence based on whether it supports their preferred answer.
The more emotionally invested someone is in a belief, the more creative their rationalizations get. That’s how intelligent people can hang onto obviously false ideas for years.
The Psychology of Belief Formation
Most people come to their beliefs through genetic predisposition, family influence, peer pressure, and life experiences. Logical analysis usually comes later, if at all.
Intelligence helps defend these emotionally-driven choices after the fact. Social factors shape belief formation more than evidence does.
People pick up the views of their trusted social groups. A brilliant scientist might accept pseudoscience popular among friends while rejecting it at work.
Emotional reasoning drives plenty of irrational beliefs. Fear, hope, and desire all play a part.
Someone facing a serious illness might chase unproven alternative treatments because conventional medicine offers little hope. It’s hard to blame them, honestly.
The illusion of knowledge makes people overconfident in what they think they know. Familiarity with a topic gets mistaken for real expertise.
This leads to strong opinions built on shaky foundations. Education alone doesn’t prevent weird beliefs.
People need to understand how science works, not just what science has discovered. Learning facts without learning how to think leaves folks vulnerable to pseudoscience.
Why Intelligence Is Not a Safeguard
High intelligence often just makes people better at justifying wrong beliefs. Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.
Defending Preexisting Beliefs
Intelligence becomes a tool for confirmation bias more than truth-seeking. When smart people form beliefs for emotional or social reasons, their cognitive abilities help them find supporting evidence.
Most people don’t weigh facts objectively before deciding what to believe. They let personal experience, family, and social pressure shape their views first.
Once those beliefs set in, intelligence goes to work defending them. Smart folks are great at finding data that fits their ideas and at explaining away anything that doesn’t.
This creates a false sense of confidence. The more reasons someone can come up with for their belief, the more certain they feel.
Intelligence amplifies this effect because clever people can produce more convincing justifications. Research shows people with higher cognitive abilities often show stronger confirmation bias.
They don’t use their intelligence to question their assumptions. They use it to build stronger cases for what they already think.
Education Versus Critical Thinking
Traditional education doesn’t protect against weird beliefs as much as you’d expect. College graduates still hold many pseudoscientific views at surprisingly high rates.
Studies reveal troubling patterns. 60 percent of college graduates believe in ESP, while 55 percent accept magnetic therapy as scientific.
More schooling doesn’t automatically mean better thinking. The problem is how schools teach science.
Students memorize facts, but they don’t always learn the scientific process. They’re taught what to think, not how to think.
Key educational gaps include:
- Understanding probability and statistics
- Learning experimental methods
- Practicing hypothesis testing
- Evaluating evidence quality
Research found no connection between science knowledge and paranormal beliefs. Students who scored well on science tests were just as likely to believe pseudoscientific claims as those who scored poorly.
Critical thinking skills need specific training. Just knowing more stuff doesn’t develop these abilities. Schools have to teach students how to apply scientific reasoning to new situations.
The Paradox of Expertise
Expertise in one area can make people overconfident in others. When someone excels in their field, they might assume their intelligence transfers to all topics equally.
Highly intelligent individuals usually have strong analytical skills within their specialty. But even these folks can fall for obvious scams or conspiracy theories outside their expertise.
The expertise paradox shows up in a few key ways:
| Expert Behavior | Why It Happens | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Overconfidence in unfamiliar topics | Success in one field creates a false sense of universal competence | Poor decisions outside specialty |
| Resistance to admitting ignorance | Reputation depends on appearing knowledgeable | Doubling down on weak positions |
| Complex rationalization | Advanced reasoning skills misapplied | Sophisticated but wrong arguments |
Famous scientists have believed in astrology, telepathy, and other unproven things. Their scientific training didn’t stop these beliefs because they formed them outside their area of expertise.
Intelligence also makes people better storytellers. They can create elaborate explanations that sound convincing but lack solid evidence.
The more complex the story, the more impressive it seems—to others and to themselves.
Some of the most educated people end up promoting the strangest ideas. Their intelligence helps them wrap weak concepts in persuasive language that attracts followers.
Examples of Weird Beliefs Among Smart People
History is packed with brilliant minds who’ve held strange beliefs despite their intelligence. Nobel Prize winners, famous authors, respected scientists—they’ve all fallen for ideas that contradict their own expertise.
Famous Cases: Arthur Conan Doyle and Linus Pauling
Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, a character famous for logic. Yet Doyle believed deeply in spiritualism and thought he could talk to dead people through mediums.
He spent years promoting séances and ghost photography. After his son died in World War I, Doyle’s belief grew even stronger.
He wanted to believe his son was still alive in spirit form. His intelligence helped him find reasons to defend spiritualism, even when evidence showed mediums were faking it.
Linus Pauling won two Nobel Prizes for chemistry and peace activism. Despite all his scientific training, he promoted vitamin C as a cure for almost everything.
Pauling claimed massive doses of vitamin C could prevent colds, cure cancer, and extend life. His claims lacked solid scientific proof.
Other scientists tried to replicate his results but failed. Pauling used his reputation and sharp mind to defend his beliefs, even when research showed they were wrong.
Pseudoscience in the Scientific Community
Even trained scientists sometimes embrace pseudoscientific claims despite their education. These beliefs usually pop up in fields outside their expertise.
Some physicists have promoted telepathy research. A few medical doctors support homeopathy, which uses extremely diluted substances as medicine.
Several engineers have claimed perpetual motion machines are possible. Education alone doesn’t prevent weird beliefs.
Studies show that college graduates still believe in ESP and magnetic therapy at high rates. Science knowledge and skeptical thinking just aren’t the same thing.
The problem shows up when scientists use less critical thinking outside their field. They might apply the same loose standards they’d never accept in their own research area.
Notable Intellectuals and Unusual Claims
Many respected thinkers have held beliefs that seem odd today. Sir Isaac Newton, for example, spent more time studying alchemy than physics.
He searched for ways to turn metal into gold and tried to decode biblical prophecies. Modern examples include:
- Engineers who believe in flat Earth theory
- Doctors who promote anti-vaccine views
- Mathematicians who support conspiracy theories about moon landings
These cases show how smart people defend beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons. Their intelligence becomes a tool to rationalize ideas they adopted for emotional or social reasons.
Intelligence helps people build complex arguments. But it doesn’t guarantee they start with good evidence or use proper scientific methods.
Types of Weird Beliefs and Pseudoscientific Claims
Smart people fall for all sorts of weird beliefs. These range from fake science claims to paranormal ideas, everyday superstitions, and conspiracy theories that twist history.
Pseudoscience and Pseudoscientific Claims
Pseudoscience looks like real science but skips proper evidence and testing. These claims often use scientific-sounding language to seem credible.
Common pseudoscientific areas include:
- Alternative medicine without clinical trials
- Magnetic therapy for healing
- Astrology as a predictive science
- ESP and psychic abilities
Research shows that 70 percent of Americans accept magnetic therapy as scientific. Even more surprising, 40 percent think astrology is scientific.
College education doesn’t always protect against these beliefs. Studies reveal that belief in magnetic therapy only drops from 71 percent among high school graduates to 55 percent among college graduates.
The problem is in how people learn science. Many students just memorize facts but never learn how to test claims properly.
Paranormal Beliefs and Phenomena
Paranormal beliefs involve events that can’t be explained by current science. These ideas stick around even when evidence is missing.
Popular paranormal beliefs:
- UFOs as alien spacecraft
- Ghost encounters and hauntings
- Psychic predictions and mind reading
- Past-life regression experiences
Data shows that 30 percent of adult Americans believe UFOs are space vehicles from other civilizations. Meanwhile, 60 percent believe in ESP.
These beliefs often start with personal experiences people can’t easily explain. The human brain just loves to find patterns and meaning in random stuff.
When something weird happens, people may jump to paranormal explanations instead of looking for natural causes.
Superstitions Across Contexts
Superstitions are beliefs that certain actions or objects can influence outcomes through supernatural means. You’ll find them everywhere in daily life.
Types of common superstitions:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Numbers | Lucky 7, unlucky 13 |
| Sports | Lucky jerseys, pregame rituals |
| Business | Feng shui office layouts |
| Daily life | Breaking mirrors, black cats |
Research indicates that 32 percent of Americans believe in lucky numbers. These beliefs give people a false sense of control over uncertain situations.
Superstitions often develop from weird coincidences. If someone wears a certain shirt and has a good day, they might credit the shirt instead of chance.
Smart people can rationalize these beliefs by finding connections that don’t really exist.
Conspiracy Theories and Historical Revisionism
Conspiracy theories claim that secret groups control major events or hide the truth from the public. Historical revisionism tries to rewrite established facts.
Notable examples include:
- Holocaust denial and revisionism
- Moon landing hoax claims
- Government cover-ups of alien contact
- Secret society control theories
Holocaust denial is one of the most harmful forms of historical revisionism. Deniers ignore overwhelming evidence and push false stories.
Creationism challenges evolutionary science by claiming religious texts explain human origins better.
These beliefs appeal to people who distrust authority or want simple answers for complicated events. They offer clear villains and heroes in a confusing world.
Intelligent people can build elaborate logical systems to support these theories once they accept the basic premises.
Case Studies: Popular Weird Beliefs
Research shows that 30 percent of Americans believe UFOs are space vehicles from other civilizations, while 60 percent believe in ESP. These beliefs stick around even among educated people who can defend their views with complex reasoning.
UFOs and Alien Abduction Narratives
UFO beliefs remain strong despite a lack of scientific evidence. Many people see unexplained lights or objects in the sky and jump to aliens instead of natural or human-made causes.
Alien abduction stories have similar patterns across different people. Abductees often describe being taken by gray aliens, undergoing medical experiments, and having memory gaps.
These accounts share common elements that suggest psychological rather than physical experiences. Common Abduction Elements:
- Missing time periods
- Medical examinations by aliens
- Bright lights and strange sounds
- Gray-skinned beings with large eyes
Sleep paralysis and false memories can explain many abduction reports. During sleep paralysis, people feel awake but can’t move, often seeing scary figures.
This creates vivid experiences that feel completely real. Smart people who believe in alien abduction often point to government secrecy and cover-ups.
They use this lack of official disclosure as evidence that aliens exist, instead of considering simpler explanations.
Belief in ESP and Psychic Powers
ESP stands for extrasensory perception. People claim they can read minds, see the future, or know things without using their normal senses.
Studies show 60 percent of Americans believe in ESP. Psychic powers include telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
Telepathy means reading someone’s thoughts. Clairvoyance involves seeing distant events. Precognition is knowing future events before they happen.
Types of ESP Claims:
- Telepathy – Mind reading
- Clairvoyance – Remote viewing
- Precognition – Seeing the future
- Psychokinesis – Moving objects with the mind
Scientific tests of psychic abilities consistently fail under controlled conditions. When proper controls prevent cheating and other explanations, psychic powers disappear.
This suggests the effects come from normal causes, not supernatural ones. People often remember psychic “hits” but forget all the misses.
A psychic might make 20 predictions and get 2 right by chance. Believers focus on the 2 correct guesses and ignore the 18 wrong ones.
Astrology and Magical Thinking
Astrology claims that star and planet positions at birth shape personality and predict life events.
Research shows 40 percent of Americans think astrology is scientific, even though there’s no evidence for these claims.
Horoscopes use vague statements that could apply to anyone.
Phrases like “you will face challenges this week” or “good things are coming” fit most people’s lives. This technique is called cold reading.
Astrology divides people into 12 signs based on birth dates.
But scientific studies just don’t find differences in personality between people born under different signs. Twins born minutes apart should have nearly identical charts, but they often have totally different personalities.
Problems with Astrology:
- Vague predictions that fit anyone
- No scientific evidence of planetary influence
- Failed predictions in controlled tests
- Ignores gravitational effects of nearby objects
Magical thinking connects unrelated events through supernatural causes.
People see patterns and meaning where none exist. This helps them feel more control over random events in their lives.
Ghosts, Magic, and Other Supernatural Claims
Ghost beliefs involve spirits of dead people who remain on Earth.
People report seeing apparitions, hearing voices, or feeling cold spots in supposedly haunted places. These experiences have natural explanations.
Infrasound, electromagnetic fields, and psychological factors can create “haunting” effects.
Low-frequency sounds below human hearing can cause unease and the feeling of a presence. Electrical fields affect brain activity in ways that produce strange sensations.
Magic shows reveal how easily people get fooled by tricks.
Professional magicians create impossible-seeming effects using natural methods. When people see unexplained events, they often assume supernatural causes instead of unknown tricks.
Natural Explanations for “Supernatural” Events:
- Cold spots from air currents
- Strange sounds from building settling
- Moving objects from vibrations
- Apparitions from light reflections
Confirmation bias makes people interpret normal events as supernatural.
Someone expecting to see ghosts will notice creaking sounds and shadows they would normally ignore. Their brain connects these ordinary things into a ghost story.
Sleep deprivation and stress increase supernatural experiences.
Tired brains create false perceptions and memories. People often report ghost encounters during emotionally difficult times when their mental state is altered.
Combating Weird Beliefs: Science and Skepticism
The fight against weird beliefs needs specific tools and methods.
Critical thinking, proper science education, and understanding probability form the foundation for evaluating claims logically.
The Scientific Method and Self-Correction
The scientific method gives us a structured way to test ideas and claims.
Scientists form hypotheses, design experiments, and collect data to support or reject theories.
Physical evidence drives scientific conclusions.
Claims without measurable, repeatable evidence get rejected through peer review and replication studies.
Key steps in scientific evaluation:
- Form testable hypotheses
- Design controlled experiments
- Collect objective data
- Submit findings for peer review
- Allow independent replication
Skepticism as a Methodology
Skepticism serves as a tool for examining claims, not just automatic denial.
Skeptics ask for evidence before accepting extraordinary claims.
The Skeptics Society promotes scientific skepticism through education and research.
They examine paranormal claims, alternative medicine, and conspiracy theories using scientific methods.
Healthy skepticism needs logical reasoning and evidence-based thinking.
Skeptics evaluate claims based on data, not just personal beliefs or emotions.
Effective skeptical practices include:
- Demanding reproducible evidence
- Checking multiple sources
- Identifying logical fallacies
- Examining potential bias
Improving Science Literacy
Science education has to focus on teaching critical thinking skills alongside scientific facts.
Students need to learn how science works, not just what scientists have discovered.
Understanding the scientific process helps people evaluate claims about health, technology, and natural phenomena.
This knowledge protects against pseudoscientific marketing and misinformation.
Research shows that traditional science education fails to reduce paranormal beliefs.
Students who know scientific facts may still accept weird claims if they can’t apply scientific thinking.
Essential science literacy components:
- Hypothesis testing methods
- Understanding controlled experiments
- Recognizing correlation versus causation
- Evaluating source credibility
Applying Logical Reasoning and Probability
Probability thinking helps us judge unlikely claims and coincidences.
Understanding basic statistics keeps people from seeing patterns in random events.
Logical reasoning spots flaws in arguments and evidence.
Common logical errors include false causation, cherry-picking data, and appeal to authority.
Complex theories like evolution show how logical reasoning builds scientific understanding.
Each piece of evidence supports the larger framework through consistent, testable predictions.
Practical reasoning tools:
- Calculate actual odds of events
- Identify confirmation bias
- Recognize false patterns
- Question extraordinary claims
People can push back against weird beliefs by sticking to these logical and scientific principles when they evaluate new information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Smart people believe weird things because they’re great at defending beliefs they formed for non-rational reasons.
Intelligence doesn’t really protect against cognitive biases, confirmation bias, or the psychological need for comfort in uncertain situations.
What cognitive biases lead to smart individuals endorsing odd beliefs?
Confirmation bias stands as the main culprit behind strange beliefs in intelligent people.
They actively seek information that supports their existing views while ignoring contradictory evidence.
The availability heuristic leads smart people to judge the likelihood of events by how easily they recall similar examples.
This causes them to overestimate rare but memorable occurrences.
Anchoring bias makes intelligent people stick to their first impression or initial belief.
Once they form an opinion, they interpret new information through that lens.
The Dunning-Kruger effect can trip up smart people in areas outside their expertise.
They may overestimate their knowledge in unfamiliar fields and make poor judgments.
Pattern-seeking behavior drives intelligent minds to find connections where none exist.
They create elaborate explanations for random events or coincidences.
How does education level impact susceptibility to unconventional ideas?
Education alone doesn’t protect against paranormal beliefs.
College graduates show only slightly lower belief rates in ESP compared to high school graduates.
Alternative medicine acceptance actually increases with education level.
92 percent of college graduates endorse alternative medicine compared to 89 percent of high school graduates.
The type of education matters more than the amount.
Science education focused on facts rather than scientific methodology doesn’t reduce weird beliefs.
Students who learn what to think instead of how to think stay vulnerable to pseudoscientific claims.
They just can’t apply their knowledge to evaluate unusual theories.
In what ways can critical thinking be compromised in highly intelligent people?
Motivated reasoning lets smart people use their analytical skills selectively.
They apply rigorous scrutiny to ideas they dislike while accepting favored beliefs uncritically.
Compartmentalization enables intelligent individuals to separate their expertise from other areas of belief.
A brilliant scientist might excel in their field while still believing in astrology.
Emotional investment in beliefs can override logical analysis.
When people feel strongly about an idea, they use their intelligence to defend rather than examine it.
Social pressure within intellectual circles can suppress critical thinking.
Smart people might adopt group beliefs to maintain their status or relationships.
What role does psychological comfort play in the acceptance of strange theories?
Uncertainty creates anxiety that drives people toward comforting explanations.
Strange theories often provide simple answers to complex problems.
Control needs motivate acceptance of conspiracy theories and supernatural beliefs.
These ideas suggest someone or something has power over chaotic events.
Meaning-making drives intelligent people to find purpose in random events.
Weird beliefs often promise deeper significance behind everyday occurrences.
Death anxiety leads some smart individuals toward beliefs that promise immortality or special meaning.
These theories offer comfort about mortality.
Family upbringing shapes belief patterns that stick around despite higher education.
Early exposure to certain ideas creates lasting impressions that resist change.
Peer groups in academic or professional circles can reinforce unusual beliefs.
Smart people often adopt the views of their respected colleagues.
Cultural background influences which strange beliefs seem acceptable.
Ideas that align with cultural values get less scrutiny from intelligent individuals.
Authority figures can shape beliefs in educated people who respect expertise.
When respected leaders endorse weird ideas, followers often accept them.
What are common patterns in the way smart people rationalize atypical convictions?
Smart people excel at defending beliefs they formed for non-smart reasons. They often use their intelligence to build sophisticated arguments around irrational foundations.
Cherry-picking evidence almost becomes an art form. Intelligent folks select supporting data and dismiss contradictory information as flawed or biased.
Complexity inflation creeps in because simple explanations just don’t feel satisfying to smart minds. They lean toward elaborate theories that fit their intellectual self-image.
Vocabulary sophistication can disguise weak reasoning behind impressive language. Technical terms and complicated explanations sometimes mask logical flaws.
Exception-making pops up when intelligent people want to hold onto beliefs despite contrary evidence. They’ll invent special circumstances to explain away problems with their theories.
