

The Polynesian people had many ways of detecting land far beyond the horizon using ocean currents, temperatures, weather patterns, animal movements, and others which they used to island hop all the way through the Pacific Islands.
I have little doubt it was a well informed theory before they got into their vessels.
I’m not sure it accounts for everything, but people tend to embrace conservatism (and yes, eventually Authoritarianism) due to fear. I was very young during the HIV/AIDS scare, but the fear was rampant and very real.
Magic Johnson making his diagnosis public and Princess Diana touching someone with AIDS was international headline news.
People are dumb and fear makes us less empathetic and even dumber.