Do you have a "Naomi Wolf" in your life?

[Anonymous]

Curious if anyone knows anyone who went from intellectually serious person to full-blown conspiracy theorist. Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, is a good example.

How did the madness take hold?

[Anonymous]

I know a few people who turned out this way, including my ex. All very smart and well educated.

There are two common traits that I can point to. One is a very black and white thinking, no grey whatsoever. E.g., if you can’t give a 100% guarantee that X is safe, it means that X is unsafe, and how dare you? The other is that they ARE probably smarter than an average person and they have an independent streak which leads them to center their identity around “not being a sheep” and believe they can “do their own research”, etc.

Add the internet echo chambers in the mix, and there you go.

[Anonymous]

PP, I also want to add that there is a general sense in our society of there not being one truth, the people in charge are trying not to be too blunt in their messaging but also are afraid of saying “I/we don’t know”, and that ambivalence adds to the fire.

[Anonymous]

But somehow you are smarter and know better? Have you thought about listening to her points and her evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious if anyone knows anyone who went from intellectually serious person to full-blown conspiracy theorist. Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, is a good example.

How did the madness take hold?

Wait, what did I miss?

I mean, now I have to Google this shit but what are the Cliff’s notes?

[Anonymous]

Yes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly:
- Naturally very smart
- Already jaded by the world (and for good reasons based on their personal experiences, including childhood trauma) before going full fringe
- Very Online
- Used to speaking up for themselves
- Family history of addiction and mental illness

[Anonymous]

Intelligent people who don't buy the party line? Crazy!

[Anonymous]

There’s an excellent analysis of these folks on a different thread. I’ll try to find it and link here.

[Anonymous]

Found it! I think this poster really nailed it.

We're research scientists with MDs and PhDs and NO, we personally know (or have heard of in our circle) absolutely zero PhDs or MDs who are vaccine-deniers.

My aunt, who has a high school diploma, became a raw vegan, and vaccine denier, decades ago. She died of Covid last year.
She was intelligent, but with a very contrarian, anti-establishment sort of personality. She felt the government was hiding things from her, the medical establishment was under the control of Big Pharma, etc. She lacked the critical thinking and scientific approach necessary to distinguish false experts from legitimate ones. Despite our efforts at providing information, she did not deviate from her beliefs, and died for them.

I think some human brains are just wired to find satisfaction in countering the established knowledge and power centers. They're people who feel stifled by the mundanity of their daily lives, and feel compelled to seek more exciting/grandiose explanations that place them in more central roles. Some may be twice exceptional (high IQ with ADHD/ASD/learning disabilities) who are underemployed and lack constructive outlets for their splinter skills.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1170151.page

[Anonymous]

Yes, I know one person and it totally shocked me. She works with nasa, super educated, really smart. She went down the rabbit hole during Covid and became totally unhinged and believing in conspiracies. Tbh I thought she may have had a mental illness that got worse during Covid and started some of them.

I know someone else who was more normal become totally radicalized during Covid but she was a bit of a hippy/conservative to start so less shocking, but still off putting.

[Anonymous]

I have a "friend" who basically transformed from a super-progressive to a Q-adjacent conspiracy theorist. All over vaccine mandates. She dramatically changed in about 4 weeks. She's destroyed her reputation and ruined relationships. It was certainly very strange to witness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Intelligent people who don't buy the party line? Crazy!

Right?

[Anonymous]

Yes, a relative. Thinking about why recently, I remembered that she was in a cult in her teens and 20s, 50 years ago. Then it all made more sense that she would go all in on something.

[Anonymous]

Mental illness. Schizotypal disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But somehow you are smarter and know better? Have you thought about listening to her points and her evidence?

+1