[mikk0j]

I like what your pet theory states. For me, it highlights the bigger question: _why_ do we have this propensity to "trust without doubt"?

My pet theory for that is based on risk-avoidance and (behavioural) rational choice theory. When we try to figure out the world in order to effectively interact with it, uncertainty is a huge problem. It is primarily a cognitive processing problem: if you don't know what it going on and what you should or can do about it, you are cognitively stuck and cannot take action. This increases our perception of risk, and possibly real risk too due to our cognitive machinery being engaged and confused.

Unconditional belief to the rescue! If there is something that we can trust without doubt, whatever the rationale behind it might be, it sounds appealing - even if the belief is mistaken, it frees up the cognitive machinery. The more abstract or unfalsifiable a belief, the easier it is to completely trust it and believe in it.

<troll>Cue religion, UFOs, nationalism, horoscopes, communism, homeopathy, libertarianism, rational choice theory, karma.</troll>

[bluekeybox]

Religion, UFOs, horoscopes, karma: belief that human beings or other types of vaguely humanoid intelligent beings (aliens, angels etc) are special and possess special powers; rooted in propensity to worship individuals.

Other things you list --- those probably originate in our desire to rationalize everything that probably has to do with our need to win arguments.