More often in my experience "x causes y" is how people misunderstand the world. "x causes y" is true in physics, but it is almost never true in metaphysics (anything involving humans).

Trying to explain deeper complexities of metaphysical causality in a logical or scientific way almost always is rejected with a story, and higher base intelligence or a science background tends to amplify the problem rather than reduce it. More cognitive power = better, more persuasive stories I guess?