Essay:Buckley's Theory of Gullibility
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Buckley's Theory of Gullibility by means of Memeplexic Selection (BTG)[edit]
Buckley's Theory of Gullibility or BTG is a theory that attempts to explain the gullible nature of fundamentalists as well as weaknesses provided by their memeplex by eight principles:
- Principle of Denial:
Fundamentalists must deny a measure of reality to sustain belief.
- Principle of Research Phobia:
In order to reject reality, direct research of oppositve views is avoided.
- Principle of Insecurity:
Intellectual dishonesty creates discomfort in the individual, who proceeds to validate his/her belief through debate.
- Principle of Deceit:
In order to reinforce credibility in debate, the fundamentalist will state that he/she has "done the research" or "was once a skeptic". The lie becomes evident once it is shown that the meme host knows nothing about the subject and resorts to strawmen arguments and the ilk.
- Principle of Immersion:
After debating, the fundamentalist runs to like-minded sources to "mine" responses to arguments he/she has encountered in debate.
- Principle of Desperation:
Any responses that don't contradict the memeplexical structure can and will be used in future arguments.
- Principle of Memetic Selection:
Absurdity in fundamentalism is therefore only limited to the nature of the memeplex.
- Principle of Manipulation:
Due to a low filter on credible information, memeplexic rumor mills can be manipulated.
Buckley's Theory of Gullibility (BTG) also makes predictions based on the eight principles:
1) With the Principle of Manipulation, it may be possible to actually create a fundamentalist argument through Rumor Insemination that will be used in future debates. Rumor Insemination is defined as the act of planting an absurd rumor within a community.
2) Long term abuse of Rumor Insemination could prove devastating to the memeplex as true beliefs will be skewed by rumor. Pretend worlds may collide.
3) Further, the theory implies that Poe's Law may be a result of Memeplexic Selection.