Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ipnon 2141 days ago
It's important to note that QAnon first appeared on 4chan, not a religious forum. I don't think religiosity is a good explanation for QAnon belief. Religiosity like church attendance is declining in America for instance.

Instead, think of the stereotypical 4chan user. Lonely, asocial, engaged in a meme subculture separate from the mainstream. It's this psychological social distance and lack of identification with the mainstream that is key. This personality type exists throughout American society. My claim is that these people take pure nonsense to heart because they have no firm foundation in reality. They are too plugged in.