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Conspiracy theorists are everywhere. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably had your fair share of run-ins with them. Recently, I found myself at the center of a digital storm. Why I pissed off conspiracy theorists is a story that begins with a simple facebook post on the group MindBytez.
The post wasn’t meant to cause controversy, but it did. Conspiracy theorists didn’t just disagree with my post. They felt attacked. What’s more, they turned their attention to my little side project, MyTherapyApp, and twisted it into something sinister.
Here’s the story of why I pissed off conspiracy theorists, what I really meant in my post, and how MyTherapyApp got caught up in the chaos.
It’s wild how quickly things can escalate on the internet. One minute, I’m writing a thoughtful post on MindBytez about the psychology of conspiracy theories. The next, I’m apparently a bot, controlled opposition, or worse, a CIA plant. It all started when I shared some thoughts on how the brain is wired to see connections and how conspiracy theories appeal to that wiring. Little did I know, that post would light a fire in the online conspiracy theorist community.
To make matters even more entertaining, someone found my little side project, MyTherapyApp, and decided to go after that too. Suddenly, what was meant to be a helpful mental health tool became, in their eyes, part of some mind-control operation. So let’s dive into how all this unfolded, what I actually meant in my posts, and why MyTherapyApp isn’t quite the data-siphoning monster some seem to think it is.
I wrote a post on MindBytez explaining the psychology behind why people believe in conspiracy theories. I didn’t think much of it. I talked about traits like schizotypy—how some people are more prone to seeing patterns where none exist. I explained how external factors like low trust in institutions and social isolation can fuel these beliefs. It was based on research, not on some personal vendetta against conspiracy theorists.
But, to some, this wasn’t just an exploration of psychology. It was an attack. A few folks took it as an attempt to gaslight people who believe in alternative explanations for major world events. The term “gaslighting” got thrown around a lot. And apparently, I was guilty of trying to convince people that their beliefs were all in their heads.
Now, I get it. When your worldview is built around mistrust and hidden agendas, it’s easy to see criticism as part of a larger conspiracy. But let me be clear: my post wasn’t meant to invalidate anyone’s beliefs. It was an exploration of why certain people are drawn to these ideas. That’s all.
Then, things took an even weirder turn. Someone on Facebook found out that I promote an app I created called MyTherapyApp. It’s a simple web app, something I built for personal use. It helps me manage my thoughts and mental well-being. I liked it, so I thought, why not share it?
Apparently, that was a mistake.
According to the conspiracy theorists, MyTherapyApp wasn’t just a helpful mental health tool. It was part of a larger scheme to gather personal data, control minds, and who knows what else. One commenter sarcastically said, “Right, they have instant solutions AND your privacy is their #1 concern. And I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I’ll sell you—cheap.”
Look, I’m not pretending that MyTherapyApp is a revolutionary piece of software. It’s not. I built it in less than 24 hours using basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The data is stored locally in your browser. No cloud, no servers. It’s literally just you and your device. I don’t even have access to the data. I created it for myself because I needed something like it. And because it worked for me, I figured it might work for others too.
Let’s be real for a second. Do I care about people’s privacy? Sure. But do I care about it enough to go through the effort of building some massive data-harvesting operation? Absolutely not. That would take months of work and cost way more money than I’m willing to spend. Plus, I don’t have the patience or the interest to track your data, analyze it, and use it for marketing purposes.
The app is as simple as it gets. It’s a tool for self-reflection, nothing more. But conspiracy theorists saw it as something much darker.
This entire situation got me thinking even more about why people believe in conspiracy theories. It’s easy to see why something like MyTherapyApp would be viewed with suspicion. In a world where data breaches and privacy concerns are real issues, it makes sense that people would be wary of anything that promises to protect their data. But that wariness can go too far.
Conspiracy theories offer a sense of control in a chaotic world. They give people answers when there are none. And they make you feel like you’re in on a secret that others are too blind to see. It’s an appealing way to make sense of things that don’t always make sense.
But here’s where things get tricky. Once you believe in one conspiracy theory, it’s easy to start seeing connections everywhere. Everything becomes part of the plan. The government, the media, even some random guy on the internet promoting a mental health app—all part of a grand conspiracy.
One of the most common accusations I faced was that I was “gaslighting” people. To be honest, this one stung a little. Gaslighting is a serious form of psychological manipulation. It’s when someone makes you doubt your own reality, often to the point where you don’t trust your own thoughts or feelings. It’s a form of abuse.
But that’s not what I was doing. I wasn’t trying to convince anyone that their beliefs were “crazy” or that they were imagining things. I was simply sharing research on why the brain is wired to see patterns and how that wiring can make people more susceptible to conspiracy theories. If anything, I was trying to offer a different perspective. One based on science.
The irony, of course, is that many conspiracy theories themselves rely on gaslighting tactics. They manipulate information, twist facts, and make you doubt what you know to be true. They feed off of mistrust and paranoia.
After dealing with this whole situation, I’ve come to realize a few things.
First, conspiracy theories aren’t just about hidden plots and secret agendas. They’re about people. People who feel disconnected, mistrustful, and isolated. They’re searching for answers, and conspiracy theories give them those answers, even if they’re not always rooted in reality.
Second, logic and facts alone won’t change anyone’s mind. You can’t argue someone out of a belief that’s become part of their identity. Instead, you have to understand where they’re coming from. You have to listen. And sometimes, you have to just let it go.
Finally, I learned that no matter what you say or do, some people will always see you as part of the conspiracy. And that’s okay. Not everyone is going to agree with you. Not everyone is going to like you. And that’s something we all have to live with.
I’m going to keep writing about topics that interest me, whether it’s conspiracy theories, psychology, or mental health. And I’m going to keep promoting MyTherapyApp because, at the end of the day, it’s something I created to help myself and others. If people want to turn that into a conspiracy, so be it.
The internet is a wild place. And if I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that sometimes, the wildest reactions come from the most unexpected places.
So to all the conspiracy theorists out there: I hear you. I understand where you’re coming from. But trust me when I say, I’m not part of any grand scheme. I’m just a guy with a blog, a mental health app, and a passion for sharing ideas.
At the end of the day, this experience has taught me a lot about the power of belief, the appeal of conspiracy theories, and the role of trust (or lack thereof) in shaping how people view the world. It’s a strange, fascinating, and sometimes frustrating part of human psychology. But it’s one that we need to keep exploring if we’re ever going to understand why people think the way they do.