Conspiracy Monster

“In the absence of information, conspiracies abound.” – Brené Brown

There’s a little monster inside of us called the conspiracy monster.
This creature lives between your ears and roars things that aren’t true. Its whispers and growls can be heard in classrooms, boardrooms, and even bedrooms. The conspiracy monster feeds on fragments of information—bits with plenty of room for interpretation. Left unchecked, it can ruin your peace and distort your perspective.

What Feeds the Monster

The conspiracy monster thrives on social media.
A picture-perfect family post flashes across your screen, and suddenly a flood of thoughts rush in. Most of them are untrue, but the monster devours them anyway.

• You compare and feel behind, so you impulsively spend money to “catch up.” (chomp, chomp—the monster eats your checkbook.)
• You feel like your life is dull compared to theirs. (chomp, chomp—the monster swallows your contentment.)

The danger comes when you behave out of these false beliefs. That’s when the monster wins.

Defeating the Conspiracy Monster

How do you fight back?

1. Acknowledge the monster exists. Awareness is half the battle.
2. Filter with truth. When you hear the monster chomping, pause and ask:
   What is true about this moment right now?
   Truth breaks the grip of the conspiracy monster and frees you to act with clarity.
3. Choose to live from truth. When your behavior flows from truth, you walk in contentment and significance.

Practical Application

Have you let the monster eat away at your joy? Here are some ways to filter the lies:

• Filter social media. What you see isn’t the truth—it’s a version of someone’s truth. Filter hard.
• Celebrate with others. When someone shares a win, pause, silence the monster, and celebrate genuinely.
• Be a detective, not a reactor. When information is scarce, gather facts before drawing conclusions.
• Fill your life with truth. Write down factual, grounding truths about who you are. Scripture is a rich source of unshakable identity and worth.
• Share this practice. Talk about the conspiracy monster with others—you might help them starve it too.