There’s no one factor that makes someone believe in conspiracy theories. But after talking to QAnon believers for years, I’ve started to notice some commonalities that go beyond politics. They often seem angry about the state of the world and their place in it. Conversely, they get a special pleasure in the knowledge they think Q has shared with them, reveling in the secrets that set them apart from the average person. As one believer put it to me with a smile, they know the news before everyone else. In a confusing world, a conspiracy theory like QAnon gives people something to put their
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