We Americans love conspiracy theories. Or we love to hate them. Either way, we perpetuate even the most absurd of them, ones about 9/11 being planned by the American government, the white car that got away from Princess Diana’s accident being full of assassins, and, most relevant to us, the many many theories behind President John F. Kennedy’s death.
An article online discusses the psychology behind conspiracy theories as a combination of individualism and an inability to control. People want to have control over their own lives, but when they feel they lose this to an outside larger power, their likelihood to believe in a conspiracy theory wholehearted goes up.
Studies are showing that individualism is a trait that is occurring more often now that it used to, as well as anxiety, which can lead to paranoia.
So between the rise of a tendency to want to believe in conspiracy theories and more theories popping up, it’s no wonder the J.F.K. rumors aren’t dissipating. The American public is still very concerned about the truth behind what happened that day. And because we are still so concerned as a nation about his death, Kennedy remains a very relevant topic in our society. This combined with the fact that people are often idolized after they die, especially after they are murdered, keeps Kennedy in the minds of the people, and therefore in the back of their minds when considering conspiracy theories.
Each of the conspiracies remain alive because people still consider that they might be true. This loop of remaining pertinent and heightening concerns about conspiracies may keep the theories about Kennedy’s death around for another fifty years.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-narcissus-in-all-us/200809/paranoia-911-and-the-roots-conspiracy-theories