A recent study indicates that Americans with lower cognitive ability scores tend to be more likely to embrace Christian nationalism. The findings suggest the ideology’s appeal is linked to underlying cognitive resources rather than just educational differences.
I don’t like to talk down but I lost two friends to the far-right. They mean well, to a certain extent, but they are not the brightest bulb. I think not being particularly smart have made them insecure as they were mocked. And insecure people are susceptible to extremism.
I’ve lost one. We were best friends for like twenty years. He wasn’t even dumb really, just super insecure, kind of gullible, and loved controversy and being contrary for its own sake. You know the type. He used to go for hard left Marxist stuff, I think probably just because it was seen as outré at the time. He later voted for Trump.
He couldn’t get a date, hated himself, felt unattractive, went on 4chan too much. Got sucked in, we tried really hard to talk him out of it. Even tried getting his dad involved. Nothing worked.
One day out of the blue he told me my baby was at a higher risk of suicide because of being mixed race. I couldn’t tolerate it anymore, even for the two decades we had together. It’s like the guy I knew is gone.