[razzimatazz]

I've been looking for the comment to explain what I see as the most significant factor in flat earth belief, which would be - missing respect for scientific authority.

It's possible to be a flat earther if you don't see how much your day to day life depends on the work of scientists and engineers - regular people who just focus their energy differently to you. But if you care a little about those brainy sorts, and have enough trust for the prominent ones who communicate well such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, you would come to accept that there are millions of us who depend on the knowledge of the shape of the earth (almost directly) in our day to day life.

It might be the case that given enough bad science teachers and a lack of decent 'nerdy' people in your life, you never gain that respect, and a flat earth becomes a real possibility.