Why do people believe the Earth is flat?
First, let's just reiterate: Some people do honestly believe the Earth is flat.
I have noticed four common traits among flat-earthers. They are very different traits, mostly unrelated to each other. Although it's not necessary to have any of these traits to be a believer, most believers do exhibit at least one of them to some extent. The traits are:
- Strong religious belief, especially in literal biblical creation.
- Confusion about how a 3-dimensional Universe works, especially gravity.
- A desire to possess "special knowledge".
- A compulsion to rebel.
Let's look at these one at a time.
Religious belief
While there is much disagreement over how the biblical story of Genesis should be interpreted, its description of the early Earth can certainly be interpreted as flat with a dome overhead. Almost all flat-earth models are based on this structure.
Most flat-earthers I've met are biblical creationists. The foundation of their flat-earth belief is the Bible. They may be interested in scientific arguments but only as a way to reinforce their underlying belief. Their world-view is based on the assumption that God created the Earth flat, so any evidence to the contrary must be wrong.
Confusion about how a true 3-dimensional Universe works.
Every flat-earther says they understand how a globe Earth model is supposed to work. However it doesn't usually take long for them to start dropping clues that show their understanding is lacking.
A common flaw in flat-earth thinking is to get the concept of up and down wrong. Most flat-earthers do get the idea that, in a globe Earth model, down means towards the centre of the planet. However you'll often hear these same people ask why the globe Earth's water doesn't find its own level or fall to the bottom of the globe. This is a dead giveaway that the person has not actually grasped the meaning of gravity in a globe Earth model. They are hanging onto the concept of a universal "up and down" that applies equally in space as it does on Earth.
In reality, of course, there is no universal up or down. There is no "bottom" of the Earth, only a middle.
A desire to possess "special knowledge".
We all like to feel that we have something special to offer. Humans value knowledge, and people who have important or interesting knowledge are respected by others.
What knowledge could be more significant than understanding the true nature of our place in the Universe? The flat Earth theory offers exactly this. It claims that ordinary people are wrong about the literal foundation of their lives. It offers the chance to join an elite club of intellectuals who see the real truth.
The flat Earth theory can make you special. That's a powerful attraction.
A compulsion to rebel.
Some people just need to rebel. They may have various motivations... The flat Earth theory may represent a rejection of mainstream ideas, an intellectual revolution, an uprising against authority, or simply a giant finger to the established norms of society. The end result is the same—rebellion.
If you want to rebel in a way that will get noticed, you might as well go large and rebel against the nature of the Universe. That'll show them you're serious.
Here are a few more common reasons for believing the earth is flat:
- Distrust of experts, especially scientists.
- Gaining a sense of community with others who share a similar belief.
- Alleviating concern about the state of the world. If the "official" world-view is a lie, then the "real" world can be much nicer and more optimistic. This often ties in with religion, i.e. "The world isn't as randomly unfair as it seems; God's plan will make everything okay".
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Author: Dave Owen