What Skinner has said about Conspiracy theories and personal accountability

Skinner argues that phobias and social harm arise when people refuse to own their darkness and make it the world's problem.

“my fear is for me to navigate. They they make their fear the world's problem”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 39:18

Skinner says he can detect hierarchical, bypassing dynamics at spiritual centers and distrusts them.

“there's a lot of spiritual bypassing going on here. You know, there's a lot of weird shit. I don't, I don't believe it”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 52:03

Skinner concludes that when the problem is always other people there is no solution, a realization he frames as spiritual.

“Well, when the problem is the other people, there's no solution”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 58:30

Skinner argues conspiracy belief is a way to control feelings about external forces while avoiding one's own shadow.

“The conspiracy stuff is wild because it's like a form of trying to control the way we feel in regards to external forces”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 1:15:24

Skinner attributes conspiracy belief to cultural atomization and people seeking agency over why their lives feel hard.

“our culture is so atomized and nihilistic and people don't have like a complete sense of connectivity or community”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 1:24:52