Education is supposed to protect against conspiracy theories and misinformation. Critical thinking, evidence evaluation, logical reasoning—all the cognitive tools that come with formal education should inoculate people against obvious nonsense.

Except when it doesn't.

Researcher Tylor Cosgrove published findings in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences that explain this paradox: narcissistic traits override the protective effects of education.

In a study of over 660 adults with education levels ranging from high school through doctoral degrees, Cosgrove found that narcissism predicted conspiracy theory acceptance regardless of educational attainment. When narcissistic traits were above average, "highly educated people were just as likely to endorse these beliefs as those without any formal education."

Let that sink in. A PhD and a high school dropout show identical susceptibility when narcissism is present.

The study examined three dimensions of narcissism:

1. Grandiosity—sense of superiority and entitlement 2. Need for uniqueness—desire to see oneself as distinct from others 3. Cognitive closure—preference for definitive answers over uncertainty

Here's the mechanism: education develops analytical skills, but humans are excellent at motivated reasoning—deploying those skills to reach preferred conclusions rather than objectively evaluating evidence.

When narcissistic individuals feel superior to experts, or need certainty during uncertain times, they use their reasoning abilities defensively. The analytical tools become weapons for maintaining unfounded beliefs rather than testing them.

It's the same cognitive machinery, running in reverse.

Cosgrove identifies the core problem: narcissistic individuals often distrust authority and expertise (because they view themselves as superior), which makes them more receptive to alternative explanations that position them as possessing special knowledge that ordinary people lack.

Conspiracy theories are intellectually flattering in this way. They offer the seductive narrative that you're smart enough to see through the lies that fool everyone else. You're not a sheep; you're a critical thinker who's figured it all out.

Except you haven't. You've just used sophisticated reasoning to convince yourself of something that isn't true.

This has significant implications for how we address misinformation. If the problem were simply lack of education or critical thinking skills, the solution would be straightforward: more education. But if narcissistic psychological needs are overriding educational benefits, then information campaigns and fact-checking alone won't work.

You're essentially asking someone to abandon a belief that makes them feel superior, unique, and certain in an uncertain world. That's a much harder sell than correcting a factual error.

The universe doesn't care what we believe. Let's find out what's actually true.