why should we not believe rumours?
Answers
Answer:
Rumors are like conspiracy theories: usually, they are false but sometimes they are true. However, even the true ones don't guarantee that all the details are correct and even in the false ones there may be a grain of truth.
For example, most people in America believe that the JFK assassination was a conspiracy. As well as witnessing it on television in 1963, I've viewed very many hours on the topic and, although some of the videos get the plot wrong, there really does appear to be a preponderance of evidence that Oswald was just a pasty, as he said he was.
The short answer is that in order to know whether a rumor or conspiracy theory really is true, one must investigate deeply into in it on all sides, follow sources, consider motivations, and so one, and even then not everyone gets it right, and not everyone possesses the critical thinking skills to get it right. Most people just aren't willing to put in the time and either make an emotional assessment of just go along with the majority. In cases where the rumor or conspiracy theory may have major consequences if it’s true, getting it wrong is very bad.
To sum it up: rumors and conspiracy theories are unreliable but are sometimes true or mostly true.
If a rumor or conspiracy theory is something not of importance, I pay little attention to it. And if I believe it to be of importance, I do not automatically assume that it’s true or false. I withhold my judgment until I have thoroughly investigated it. Even then, I’m always open to new evidence since I’ve aware that I could have gotten it wrong.