Short answer: because we use our heads to think not to wear MAGA hats!

I don't buy the cognitive immunology. And mind inoculation? Let's see some evidence.

I do think that laziness is a problem, and I can even admit to being lazy myself on occasion. Adding to the laziness is the vast amount of information we are all subjected to on a daily basis. No one can possibly sort through all the info that is available.

The other point that has not been raised is that news that evokes emotions is addicting. All you have to do is get your sensational news out there, and people will be hooked.

And I am too lazy to go into detail on any of this.

Made a mental note while reading this last night and was again reminded this morning. Here is an important link: [npr.org]

I would say, depending on your point of view, ideology and belief systems, we all are.

Conspiracy theories always bring down a group or person. They erode confidence. This begs the question: Is this a leverage point for our greater foreign enemies like Russia? Is some of this fueled by racism?

The bottom line is that real working intelligence, the sort that we use in the every days world, has little to do with brain power or problem solving skills, of which most of us have more than enough to solve most real world problems. It is much more to do with commitment, effort, and the skills which come with practice when you do commit.

But of course there is only limited profit and power to be gained, in helping others who can do things for themselves, there is however vast profit to be made from indulging other peoples laziness. Every supermarket is filled with ready made meals, and every newspaper and web-page with ready made answers and opinions.

It not that complicated. Not everyone has the abilitly for critical thinking, this includes people who seem intelligent andmay even br successful folks like lawyers and doctors. They may have the ability to study and pass difficult courses and solve complicated problems, but that doesn't mean they have the ability for critical thought or abstract thinking. There are also the people who are born just plain stupid. They will be stupid untill the day they die. Both groups are easily manipulated, especially the stupid who are afraid of everything because they don't understand much of anything. Never forget 49% of the people have double digit IQs. There are also the greedy, who don't really care about anything except making as much money as they can right now and will let nothing, even global warming stand in their way.

Not just people's minds are lazy but, for too many, the term covers the whole body. This post reminded me of a report on NPR this morning about Illinois schools introducing programs in HS to get students to learn to see false stories. I'll try to post it tomorrow.

Republicons want something and they want it right now. They also want to stay in office so they stay together in basic idiotic beliefs. I say it that way because I have not found any Democrats who are QAnon people. If they were they would switch and be a Republican. All of this took some time for people to be molded and it seems clear that the current group of Conspiracy Theorists have Clown Disease. The Clown is getting us right where he wants us and it is working because we no longer have anything taught in our high schools about American government and how it works. The popular thought is that if enough people want it "reinstatement" is a possibility. You can pray harder or just keep giving the Clown money. He might have money for when the creditors come calling soon, or he might start "January 6th Part Two."

My favorite part of reading that was "QAnonsense"

Memetics and its allied forced analogies are examples of our tendency to impose patterns on stuff, in this case culture. So use forced analogies to explain the false patterns seen by conspiracy theorists and suggest a cure? Yikes!

While your post expresses an ideal that would be attractive to every mind that is allergic to bullshit, I have difficulty with drawing too close a parallel between bodily immunology and cognitive immunology. I have seen countless minds who feel immensely threatened by engaging in critical thinking (and mine was once one of those minds). My intolerance of logical fallacies was more powerful than the fear put into my mind by a religious asshole when I was aged 10. My primary concern is that bullshit defense mechanisms of the American Deep South mentality will never give way to logic and reason - there is too much herd stupidity.

I was immunized by attending the Clayhatchee Assembly of God Church for eleven years while attending school at the same time. I default believed the church, my studies showed the church wrong, which is why religion hates academics and science.
It also helps to not give a fuck about the ego self.
Don't let your ego become deluded that it's greater than the sum of all human experience and you're just naturally immune to the noise.
Most Qanon is also into the delusion of white supremacy and a noble South, both of which are serious mental conditions that the victim may never recover from because they've bonded the concept to their sense of identity, just as religion does.
Apes have a difficult time seeing themselves for what they actually are.

People are stupid. They believe in flying saucers, palm readers, fortune tellers, Scientology or any other bullshit religion. That's why they hate us Atheists so much. We are immune to conspiracy theories. I know, there are people in the Conservative Atheist group some of whom espouse conspiracy theories. I contend that most of them are frauds. They either don't believe the lies they are pushing or they are closet theists.