“Freedom – of thought and the press – is a meaningless word," the University of Padua student Maria wrote bitterly in her diary. "Mussolini himself, whom I once admired as the most complete genius, seems to have lost his equilibrium.” It was 1938, and the Fascist regime had just enacted anti-Semitic laws. Maria's favorite physics professor, who was Jewish, had been removed from his job.
Ruth, this is an extremely powerful and valuable essay. I’ve now read it three times. I’m reflecting on the impact to Trump Cultists who allow themselves to see the Jan 6 Committee broadcasts and Liz Cheney’s measured, direct and calm indictment of Trump’s Coup on June 9th.
So well written, thank you. Reading this for the second time since you wrote it. It’s been my same experience, working with Disinformation victims post-violence in Refugee clinics. It’s a very slow emergence for them. The forgiveness I saw, from my patients who endured so much at the hands of extremists who were brainwashed by regimes, is something I will never forget, and am trying to emulate. So very challenging on a personal level. Your article is a guidepost.
"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: if we have been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back."
I wonder, though if similarities to a cult are more than surface-level for many Trump supporters. Many Trump Conservatives were raised in a no-questions-asked religious background, with televangelists who flaunted their massive wealth while their flock dipped into their retirement savings. It seems to me that this large minority of the country has 'simply' transferred their fealty from a distant 'God' to someone whose wealth and power they admire. Their faith, much like their political persuasion is a part of their identity as much as their names or eye color...this is a transference vs the birth of a new ideology or psychology. They simply follow the rules without question of the tribe they associate with. They aren't expecting coherency or logic...any more than they did from their religious beliefs or religious leaders. I don't think these people can be brought back from Trumpism. The ones that I do hold out hope (that might be too strong a word) for are the Obama-Trump voters...these are the folks who felt betrayed by our boken political system and looked for something else to give them meaning in life. This is the group that seems to exhibit the cultish behavior to me...they bury their doubts by increasingly aberrant behavior. If Covid weren't a factor, the truth they are trying so hard to ignore might eventually seep in with the luxury of time, but unfortunately, time is not on their side, and it is more likely that illness or death, spread to or by them, will cause reality to emerge.
Followers, who fall into leader cults are attracted by the charms and charisma of the leader. Like followers of Mussolini's leader cult, MAGAs and the rest who have fallen in with Trump and his leader cult find him charismatic. These followers become emotionally invested in Trump. They are like fans who elevate their leader to rock star status, sometimes even to the point of worshiping them like gods. In 1966 John Lennon got in trouble for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. The bond formed with the cult leaders or rock stars is not all that different from love, in which they no longer see any faults or shortcomings and reject any negative evidence often no matter how damning, at least for a while or longer. There is passion and they become fiercely loyal and protective and share or emulate parts of his identity. So if the leader is attacked they feel attacked.
Like a love relationship or bond with a cult leader, breaking up is hard to do, its a slow process like a tire deflating. Sometimes two steps forward one step back and lots of cognitive dissonance. Sometimes there may be new leaders who may want to try and take the place of the old one or sometimes the cult and its movement just fade away into the dustbin of history.
Agree that trying to convince conservative cultists that they are wrong is an effort in futility. They need to figure it out for themselves. Conservatives are infamous for being afflicted with the Backfire Effect, in which they will not change their stance, even when given corrective information. There are amygdala differences in the liberal and conservative brains that account for this. The Backfire Effect is rare in liberals. The amygdala is the fear-based part of the brain. Conservatives can be easily swayed by fear-based speech from a charismatic leader.
McCarthy era cultists slowly backed down from their radical position after a total lack of evidence overwhelmed them over time. Trump cultists will probably follow the same path.
Beautifully written piece, thank you. The New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, once wrote in a column or book about the Middle East to never underestimate the power of humiliation. That stuck with me and explains a lot of events/outcomes around the world, on small to large levels.
the way i see it , you are actually doing exactly the same thing as you write about!! by working at NYU and not calling out lying sc*m maria Bartiromo who is on the nyu board of trustees. you are exactly the same as whom you write about. if I'm wrong explain how?
Ditto, Ruth, a great analysis on the psychology of cult followers going to extremes to save face, and this also provides guidance for those who are grieving loss of family and friends who’ve been seduced into the Trump/Q cult(s). Personal story: my daughter is getting married next week. Her fiancé is estranged from his family, all of whom are Trump followers. Vaccinations and masks are required for our wedding guests, but all 6 of his family members refuse to get vaxed. So they’re no longer invited- a call my daughter and I made with *no lectures* about the dangers of being unvaxed attached.
This is so painful for my future son-in-law, as he’d like his family to be present for this joyous day…but he’s trying to move toward accepting that they’ve so stubbornly backed themselves in a corner- in their need to save face —-that they’re going to miss a celebration that they’ll never get back. The healthiest thing he can do is to detach with love, so bitterness doesn’t own him — That’s a lot of emotional labor, and we’re trying to be as supportive as we can be. Maybe some day they’ll come around - if they notice what they’re losing out on. But we’re not holding our breath.
Ruth, this is an extremely powerful and valuable essay. I’ve now read it three times. I’m reflecting on the impact to Trump Cultists who allow themselves to see the Jan 6 Committee broadcasts and Liz Cheney’s measured, direct and calm indictment of Trump’s Coup on June 9th.
So well written, thank you. Reading this for the second time since you wrote it. It’s been my same experience, working with Disinformation victims post-violence in Refugee clinics. It’s a very slow emergence for them. The forgiveness I saw, from my patients who endured so much at the hands of extremists who were brainwashed by regimes, is something I will never forget, and am trying to emulate. So very challenging on a personal level. Your article is a guidepost.
"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: if we have been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back."
--Carl Sagan
this is very helpful - thank you
I wonder, though if similarities to a cult are more than surface-level for many Trump supporters. Many Trump Conservatives were raised in a no-questions-asked religious background, with televangelists who flaunted their massive wealth while their flock dipped into their retirement savings. It seems to me that this large minority of the country has 'simply' transferred their fealty from a distant 'God' to someone whose wealth and power they admire. Their faith, much like their political persuasion is a part of their identity as much as their names or eye color...this is a transference vs the birth of a new ideology or psychology. They simply follow the rules without question of the tribe they associate with. They aren't expecting coherency or logic...any more than they did from their religious beliefs or religious leaders. I don't think these people can be brought back from Trumpism. The ones that I do hold out hope (that might be too strong a word) for are the Obama-Trump voters...these are the folks who felt betrayed by our boken political system and looked for something else to give them meaning in life. This is the group that seems to exhibit the cultish behavior to me...they bury their doubts by increasingly aberrant behavior. If Covid weren't a factor, the truth they are trying so hard to ignore might eventually seep in with the luxury of time, but unfortunately, time is not on their side, and it is more likely that illness or death, spread to or by them, will cause reality to emerge.
Thanks for your expose on Authoritarian Cults.
Followers, who fall into leader cults are attracted by the charms and charisma of the leader. Like followers of Mussolini's leader cult, MAGAs and the rest who have fallen in with Trump and his leader cult find him charismatic. These followers become emotionally invested in Trump. They are like fans who elevate their leader to rock star status, sometimes even to the point of worshiping them like gods. In 1966 John Lennon got in trouble for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. The bond formed with the cult leaders or rock stars is not all that different from love, in which they no longer see any faults or shortcomings and reject any negative evidence often no matter how damning, at least for a while or longer. There is passion and they become fiercely loyal and protective and share or emulate parts of his identity. So if the leader is attacked they feel attacked.
Like a love relationship or bond with a cult leader, breaking up is hard to do, its a slow process like a tire deflating. Sometimes two steps forward one step back and lots of cognitive dissonance. Sometimes there may be new leaders who may want to try and take the place of the old one or sometimes the cult and its movement just fade away into the dustbin of history.
Agree that trying to convince conservative cultists that they are wrong is an effort in futility. They need to figure it out for themselves. Conservatives are infamous for being afflicted with the Backfire Effect, in which they will not change their stance, even when given corrective information. There are amygdala differences in the liberal and conservative brains that account for this. The Backfire Effect is rare in liberals. The amygdala is the fear-based part of the brain. Conservatives can be easily swayed by fear-based speech from a charismatic leader.
McCarthy era cultists slowly backed down from their radical position after a total lack of evidence overwhelmed them over time. Trump cultists will probably follow the same path.
ReplyDelete
Beautifully written piece, thank you. The New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, once wrote in a column or book about the Middle East to never underestimate the power of humiliation. That stuck with me and explains a lot of events/outcomes around the world, on small to large levels.
the way i see it , you are actually doing exactly the same thing as you write about!! by working at NYU and not calling out lying sc*m maria Bartiromo who is on the nyu board of trustees. you are exactly the same as whom you write about. if I'm wrong explain how?
Ditto, Ruth, a great analysis on the psychology of cult followers going to extremes to save face, and this also provides guidance for those who are grieving loss of family and friends who’ve been seduced into the Trump/Q cult(s). Personal story: my daughter is getting married next week. Her fiancé is estranged from his family, all of whom are Trump followers. Vaccinations and masks are required for our wedding guests, but all 6 of his family members refuse to get vaxed. So they’re no longer invited- a call my daughter and I made with *no lectures* about the dangers of being unvaxed attached.
This is so painful for my future son-in-law, as he’d like his family to be present for this joyous day…but he’s trying to move toward accepting that they’ve so stubbornly backed themselves in a corner- in their need to save face —-that they’re going to miss a celebration that they’ll never get back. The healthiest thing he can do is to detach with love, so bitterness doesn’t own him — That’s a lot of emotional labor, and we’re trying to be as supportive as we can be. Maybe some day they’ll come around - if they notice what they’re losing out on. But we’re not holding our breath.
Bonne analyse psychologique et sociologique.