Just wondering if anyone thinks that there's a mental illness component involved?

guest1163268 · Jan 17, 2021

Please, I would really like some feedback because I am struggling to understand what's going on? Context. They all are passionate players of Dungeons and Dragons and know the complicated, numerous rules by heart. Yet, when I play with them, they are disorganized, never communicate and engage in the most ludicrous plans. Is this a good example of why they think they way they do?

I'm baffled by their choices especially re the QAnon aspects or how trivial and superficial everything appears to be.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 17, 2021

2 hours ago, Curious1997 said:

I have republican members in my family and they repeat the most nonsensical things to me, like it was the democrats that stormed the capital and there's a vast conspiracy to suppress the truth etc, yet these are professional people with successful careers, who appear to function well in everyday life?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/technology/qanon-meme-queen.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

Yes, I believe there is a mental illness component. Very largely depressed and anxious people, who need to blame others for feeling that they are on the bottom of the totem pole in life, have been convinced to have an enemy such as black, brown, and Jewish people as the reason that their lives suck! Educated or not, the people following Trump hate their lives for whatever reason and want someone else (groups of people) to blame. Such mentally ill people are very easily attracted to conspiracy theories of aliens and some global world order (QAnon nuts) as well as white supremist (racists piles of trash) conspiracy theories that lead to a need for an autocrat like Trump to stay in power to push their global world view and agenda forward. This is very similar to how Hitler was placed into power. Many German people were at the lowest point of their lives after World War I and unfortunately followed that Satan and demigod too.

chare · Jan 18, 2021

Are you referring to Mr. Trump's supporters in particular, or Republicans in general?

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 18, 2021

6 minutes ago, chare said:

Are you referring to Mr. Trump's supporters in particular, or Republicans in general?

You mean am I referring to Trump's ardent cult followers, who are attracted to fascism, racism, and hate in all of its forms as well as those attracted to QAnon? Trump's cult following think the events of January 6th was a simple protest and the election of 2020 was a fraud in areas that are largely made up of black and brown American voters. Or am I talking about normal conservatives who may or may not be Republican or Independent?

No, I am not talking about normal conservatives. Normal conservatives denounce Trump and Trumpism, which includes White Supremacy and QAnon crazy conspiracy theories. Normal conservatives also know that the election in 2020 was free and fair and support our U.S. Constitution. Normal conservatives have no desire to tear down this country unlike those who follow Trump. Normal conservatives desire to move towards a more perfect union, which is the same desire of their liberal fellow countrymen and countrywomen, who may or may not be Democrats or Independents.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2021

I'm not sure about mental illness but it sure seems to me some are brainwashed on a massive scale. He got the 2nd most number of votes in history next to Biden.

I work with a few Trump supporters that are college educated and in every other way seem normal. When I asked if one believed the election results, rather than say yes, she clung to "I just don't know what to believe". Other's very often deflect and say things "well you didn't say anything about the BLM riots" (not true).

They just can't seem to grasp the reality that is staring them in the face. Or they don't care. They should have had a clue when Trump said he had the largest inauguration crowd in history and pictures proved he didn't. It was staring them in the face from Day 1 that he's a liar.

I've said many times I understand the conservative agenda of low taxes, regulation, strong military, and Trump delivers on that. But whey so fervently support someone that blatantly lied to them? Why not pick someone else like. Mike Pence or any other number of people.

Oh well, I've had a gazzillion discussions about it and can't wrap my head about supporting the man especially now.

toomuchbaloney · Jan 18, 2021

A large segment of the population is brainwashed with a very limited diet of right wing propaganda. They don't trust any media that is critical of Trump. It seems obvious that an alarming number of white conservative men have been radicalized in their political thought. Our right wing extremists behave similarly to right wing extremists in the middle east.

Y'all kkk duh

guest1163268 · Jan 18, 2021

2 hours ago, chare said:

Are you referring to Mr. Trump's supporters in particular, or Republicans in general?

Trump's supporters and QAnon believers I guess?

allnurses Guide · Jan 18, 2021

I have a few Trump supporters and self-identified Republicans in my family. It's causing a great deal of strife on facebook where I refuse to discuss politics. Hate to see my child and my brother so angry with each other.

They are not Qanon kooks, they know Trump tells lies, they know he says outrageous things, but they brush this stuff off as a parent might brush off their child's bratty, but not all that earth-shatteringly terrible behavior.

It's extremely distressing, especially to see them minimize things like family separations, "travel ban" and other initiatives that target immigrants and minority communities. They don't, or won't acknowledge the damage that has been done there.

I try to be fair when I see the Republican party as a whole. There are Republicans, and Republican groups that I believe helped defeat Donald Trump.

Things are so chaotic right now it's hard to see what longstanding impact all the conspiracy BS will ultimately have, but a certain percentage of people will buy into conspiracies in general. My stepdad believed FDR knew about the Pearl Harbor attack ahead of time. When I asked why he said he read one book, and he was convinced.

Maybe some personalities are predisposed to believe conspiracies. People who don't understand that association doesn't mean causation.

No current D and D players in my family, but I can relate to your alarm, Curious1997.

guest1163268 · Jan 18, 2021

2 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

A large segment of the population is brainwashed with a very limited diet of right wing propaganda. They don't trust any media that is critical of Trump. It seems obvious that an alarming number of white conservative men have been radicalized in their political thought. Our right wing extremists behave similarly to right wing extremists in the middle east.

Y'all kkk duh

I don't honestly know why do republicans think that Democrats want to pay huge taxes or have a large inefficient govt or simply give away our tax dollars as hand outs? No one in their right mind wants that. However, they seem unable to grasp the concept that to do things or have things, certain infrastructure must be in place which inevitably needs regulations to ensure efficacy and safety and fair trade practices etc etc. They always seem to see problems and their only solutions are apparently power to control. The SAME VERY THING THAT THEY REBEL AGAINST!

BEING CONTROLLED!

I honestly think it's actually insecurities like racism and misogyny that determines their perceptions. They also appear to be limited in brain power or creativity. Because, they don't seek or create solutions.

They align themselves with big business whose sole goal is to achieve control over them to ensure productivity and profits. They reject unions or institutions that advocate for them in direct conflict with their best interests, in favor of management who with the simplest of spin or doubletalk can persuade them that up is down and left is right. Personally, I think it's education and insecurity with a very healthy dose of hypocrisy!

The only reason I can see that they give their money to a preacher who is so obviously sinful, is to substantiate their own sins! The same way that they support someone who is so flagrantly different from them re financial and social status, because he says things they actually believe in, even though they know he's fooling them. They double down because they lack shame and know that there's no consequences to them in their communities because they are all equally bad!

It must be very freeing to be so hypocritical! I wonder if they are able to process though, that like Trump, there's always going to be consequences!

TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN · Jan 26, 2021

There are evangelicals preachers that earn millions every year, that have more luxurious lives than celebs in Hollywood do, televangelists that will have a message of "Send a donation and I'll plant a seed of faith that will bring you health and fortune", and they make millions and have huge congregations and nationally broadcast sermons each week.

One would think that anyone would be able to see that these people are charlatans, hypocrites, and no better than snake oil peddlers. Yet, their schemes are successful. Is there any wonder that so many evangelicals support Trump and the Republican party as a whole? They don't need proof that he's looking out for them, they have faith that he is.

It's not mental illness, it's the desire to believe in something more than yourself that Trump and those that support authoritarianism exploit to gain power, and to keep it.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 26, 2021

9 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

There are evangelicals preachers that earn millions every year, that have more luxurious lives than celebs in Hollywood do, televangelists that will have a message of "Send a donation and I'll plant a seed of faith that will bring you health and fortune", and they make millions and have huge congregations and nationally broadcast sermons each week.

One would think that anyone would be able to see that these people are charlatans, hypocrites, and no better than snake oil peddlers. Yet, their schemes are successful. Is there any wonder that so many evangelicals support Trump and the Republican party as a whole? They don't need proof that he's looking out for them, they have faith that he is.

It's not mental illness, it's the desire to believe in something more than yourself that Trump and those that support authoritarianism exploit to gain power, and to keep it.

TheMoonisMyLatern, I agree with most of what you written, except it needs to be pointed out that white evangelicals think differently than large numbers of black and brown evangelicals. Black and brown evangelicals are not Trump supporters in general. Also, grievance politics exploits mental illness. For example, depression (those-other-people-that-don't-look-like-me-must-think-that-they-are-better-than-me and poor-me-its-not-my-fault-my-life-sucks-it-must-be-those-democrats) is a mental illness.