In short: Conspiracy theorists are not stupid, or intentionally deceitful. They've simply fallen prey to a subtle form of madness.

So, how can you spot a conspiracy theorist? Usually, you'll see a large and complicated array of facts and events that seem to be connected by one convenient explanation.

Also, certain groups are likely to come up. The Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission, the CIA, the Zionists, the Freemasons, the Catholic Church and/or the Pope, the United Nations, the British Royal Family, and the Rockefeller family seem to be the most commonly mentioned nowadays. Also look for mentions of fictional groups like the Council of 13 or the Committee of 300, or long-dead groups like the Knights Templars or the Bavarian Illuminati.

But there's one tipoff that almost never fails: the belief in shadowy figures who are secretly controlling things, or "pulling the puppet strings." Conspiracy theorists usually believe that mostly-unseen characters are controlling world events, and have been for some time. It's that shadowy unknown, the secret agenda, that's your biggest tipoff.

Yes, in the real world, secrets are kept. Powerful people commit crimes that they try to cover up. Intelligence agencies do things we don't always know about and may not always approve of. All of that is true. But when you hear stories implying that countless seemingly unrelated things can be explained by the workings of one powerful group, you've got a big, fat, neon-red flag there. Watch for it.

I find that learning about conspiracy theories is a lot of fun. If you want a fast start on learning about some of the more popular conspiracy theories, you should check out the Conspiracy Archive, which I got from the lovely and brilliant Sasha. It's a fantastic collection of material, with copious links to still more.

As you read, you'll find that some conspiracy theories are hilarious. Others are beautiful for their seductive logic. Sometimes, you may even laugh nervously and think, "Oh yeah, I kind of used to believe something like that, didn't I?"

Don't worry about that last one. It just means you're an open-minded human who probably has a healthy capacity for drawing inferences. Laugh at yourself! And at what fools these mortals be.

One thing you may notice on Dean's World: I like poking fun at conspiracy theories. I love to read about, talk about, and joke about them. But if you've ever seen me talk in conspiracy-minded tones, please know this: I'm kidding.

Or that's what I'd like you to think, anyway...

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By the way, the best book on the conspiracy mindset I've ever read is Conspiracy: How the Paranoid Style Flourishes and Where It Comes From. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

And if you want to understand my reference to "Inference," a terrific book is Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics which even for people who generally dislike comics will find a fascinating and entertaining read. It's not about conspiracies, but its entire section on inference is alone worth reading the book.