Sounds like you might have an interesting take on what creates a conspiracy theorist? I don't meet many in my life (and I don't follow any, like you), but it seems they are becoming ubiquitous.
Speaking personally, I started out as an avid Skeptic Magazine reader and conspiracy doubter, but became interested in conspiracies after watching those inclined to believe in them accurately predict in real time (including in HN comments) that Jeffrey Epstein would die in prison before he would be allowed to come to trial or testify against the numerous wealthy & powerful people with whom he was associated. The media then proceeded to immediately circle the wagons and insist that anything other than 'it was a lone suicide' was 'baseless conspiracy theory.'
I imagine for most conspiracy theorists it's a similar process. They see some evidence of our society's widespread institutional corruption and the mass deception which is deployed to protect it, and begin looking for the truth in alternative avenues. Unfortunately it is then very easy to exit the first hall of mirrors into another one, like QAnon.
I imagine for most conspiracy theorists it's a similar process. They see some evidence of our society's widespread institutional corruption and the mass deception which is deployed to protect it, and begin looking for the truth in alternative avenues. Unfortunately it is then very easy to exit the first hall of mirrors into another one, like QAnon.