Conspiracy Theory

Rollo May, in 'The Cry for Myth', (a book which should be mandatory reading, especially for Americans) discusses the disconnect between modern human beings and the ancient stories and myths that were sufficient for the teaching of the value and purpose of life. This 'mythlessness' leads inevitably to a loneliness which is the "deepest and least assuageable of all."(May, p.161)

If one accepts May's argument, then we have at least identified a significant contributing factor to the modern malaise.

Let's have a look at how this would work.

Some people just find it so hard to accept that governments are supposed to keep secrets. Maybe it's okay for those pesky Ruskies to play cloak and dagger with their own people - but we all know they're an evil empire, so what d'ya expect? But really? Our government built a plane called the Stealth Bomber? And they did so stealthily, without telling us? Tut! tut! They must be in league with those  damned Mexicans … Oops! I mean, aliens.

Far too many people are likely to hold some form of this view. And, while it might seem unfortunate to the more cognizant among us, it shouldn't be too surprising. Not really. Not if you think about it.

As has been mentioned once or twice already, human beings need stories. Yes, we do. Watch your favourite News Station and realise that you are not just being fed an objective, factual account of an event, you are being told a story - and the story will have different biases depending on whether you're listening to MSNBC, CNN, BBC or Fox or any other station. This may not come as a revelation - hope it doesn't or you're very likely to be brain-washed every time you turn on your TV.

Next time you're recounting the day's events to a friend - how it was going okay until tea break and there was no water in the urn and the milk was sour and the chair you sat on had a wonky leg and unceremoniously dumped you in an ungainly heap on the floor - consider not so much what you're saying, but how you're saying it. You are not giving your friend an objective, factual account of your day. You are telling your story in such a way as to elicit her sympathy for your misfortune.

Human beings need stories. We need to listen to stories to find out what is happening in the world and we need to tell stories to feel connected to that world through the concern shown in the eyes of our listener. How else would you know the world cares?

The problem is that as the world has grown larger, more globalised, so have our stories. There is no doubt that the first 'Star Wars' film is a great ripping yarn, entertainment of the first order. But whose story is it? Yes, it is the story of good vs. evil but it all happens a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. That so many people are willing to invest their lives in this alternative reality tells us something of its universal appeal but tells us far more about the dearth of local stories. Whatever one might think of the myths of the Ancient Greeks, one can still go visit the sites where the action of the stories took place. In this sense these ancient tales are more local to us than tales of derring-do among the stars. Funnily enough, the same can be said for the X Files. Yes, it may have been filmed in Canada, but the events of the stories took place in specific places in the United States making them localised in a way 'Star Wars' can never be.

But globalisation is a feature of the modern world and it isn't too surprising that our stories be assimilated into this matrix. And in the process lose all relevance. The characters are nothing but faceless stooges for the government, the aliens, the syndicate, the Illuminati. There are no actual villians in these globalised stories, just as there are no actual heroes. In every essential way, these stories, these conspiracy theories, are meaningless.

If we are listening to, investing our selves in meaningless stories, the outcome should be as obvious as it is inevitable.