Jiří X. Doležal
Do roku 1990 pregraduální a postgraduální student psychologie, 1990 - 1991 první novinářské zkušenosti (Zrcadlo, Fórum, Český deník), 1991 – dosud Reflex, od roku 1993 samostatná publicistická činnost (cca 12 knih). Jako reportér Reflexu prožil řadu pikantních dobrodružství. Nechal se doma měsíc sledovat online připojenou webovou kamerou. Převlečen za nezletilou dívku, usiloval o přijetí do Klokánku. Podrobil se odběru spermatu. Převlečen za brouka, demonstroval za právo kůrovce sežrat Šumavu. Zveřejnil video ze své kolonoskopie. Nechal se očipovat. Držel hladovku za vybudování amerického radaru v ČR. Na protest proti blokádě silnic zemědělci zablokoval vlastním tělem Agrární komoru. Navrhl ministerstvu kultury, aby jej vyhlásilo kulturní památkou za to, kolik v životě vykouřil marihuany. Na protest proti podpoře squattingu Stranou Zelených osquattoval jejich pražskou centrálu. Také se výrazně zasadil o rozkvět českého jazyka. Teolog a sociolog Jan Jandourek v roce 2015 publikoval informaci, že JXD je autorem dnes široce užívané a zlidovělé nadávky „sluníčkář“. Ve volném čase sbírá JXD trilobity s takovou intenzitou, že mu v květnu 2018 na ušním oddělení Vojenské nemocnice museli odsávat prvohorní štěrk z hlavy.

A jak se dá našinci ještě vládnout? Je třeba ho neustále zabavovat, rozptylovat jeho pozornost. A přitom ho držet pěkně zkrátka. Takříkajíc ho kanalizovat. Podsouvat mu nějakou ideu. Náboženství nebo ideologii. Bezpřestání mu vymýšlet nepřátele. Bez nepřátel stojí jeho život za starou belu! Bez nepřátel je ztracený!

In the present contribution, we examine the link between societal crisis situations and belief in conspiracy theories. Contrary to common assumptions, belief in conspiracy theories has been prevalent throughout human history. We first illustrate historical incidents suggesting that societal crisis situations—defined as impactful and rapid societal change that calls established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups into question—have stimulated belief in conspiracy theories. We then review the psychological literature to explain why this is the case. Evidence suggests that the aversive feelings that people experience when in crisis—fear, uncertainty, and the feeling of being out of control—stimulate a motivation to make sense of the situation, increasing the likelihood of perceiving conspiracies in social situations. We then explain that after being formed, conspiracy theories can become historical narratives that may spread through cultural transmission. We conclude that conspiracy theories originate particularly in crisis situations and may form the basis for how people subsequently remember and mentally represent a historical event
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Since people have a fundamental need to understand why events occurred, particularly in the case of negative or unexpected events (Brückmuller et al., this issue), crisis situations often elicit sense-making narratives among citizens that become part of their representations of history. Many of these narratives take the form of conspiracy theories, commonly defined as explanatory beliefs of how multiple actors meet in secret agreement in order to achieve a hidden goal that is widely considered to be unlawful or malevolent (Zonis and Joseph, 1994). Central to this definition is a group, or coalition, of powerful and evil-minded individuals, distinguishing conspiracy beliefs from other forms of belief (e.g. religion, paranormal belief, and superstition

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First, conspiracy theories are not unique to our current time or culture. People of all eras and cultures are likely to believe in conspiracy theories, provided that they are confronted with societal crisis situations. Second, this relationship between societal crisis situations and belief in conspiracy theories is attributable to feelings of fear, uncertainty, and being out of control. These feelings instigate sense-making processes that increase the likelihood that people perceive conspiracies in their social environment. Third, after being formed, conspiracy theories can become part of lay representations of history and are transmitted to new generations as coherent narratives even though people do not experience uncertainty about past crisis situations anymore.