So, why do people believe weird things? \"More than any other, the reason people believe weird things,\" says Shermer, \"is because they want to. . . .It feels good. It is comforting. It is consoling.\" Secondly, weird beliefs offer \"immediate gratification.\" People like weird beliefs because they are simple. Weird beliefs also satisfy the quest for significance: they satisfy our moral needs and our desire that life be meaningful. Finally, he says, people believe weird things because weird things give them hope.