Why people believe weird things | Michael Shermer?

People believe weird things because their brains are trying to make sense of the world around them, just like when you try to guess what’s in a surprise bag.

Bold ideas and patterns feel good, kind of like how your favorite toy feels when it’s warm in your hands. Michael Shermer says that people often believe weird things because they see patterns where there aren’t any, or they find meaning in randomness.

Your brain is like a detective looking for clues. When you hear a ding and then get a cookie, you might think the ding means a cookie is coming, even if it’s just luck. That’s how belief starts: from simple clues that feel important.

If the ding happens again, and again, your brain gets more excited, like when you get a surprise bag every day and start believing the magic never ends. But sometimes, those clues are just tricks, or maybe not tricks at all, but things we didn’t understand yet.

Believing weird things is normal, it’s part of how we learn about the world!