https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/01/20/we-all-got-played-qanon-followers-implode-after-big-moment-never-comes/?

‘We All Got Played’: QAnon Followers Implode After Big Moment Never Comes

At high noon on Wednesday, QAnon followers believed that Trump would announce through the emergency broadcast system that “the storm” had come, so goes the wacky conspiracy theory. Democrats and other members of the deep state would be arrested, and Trump would continue being president.

CRUCIAL QUOTE
“So far, Q believers seem to be in shock over Joe Biden actually being sworn in and becoming president,” Mike Rothschild, who recently published a book about conspiracy theories and tracks the QAnon conspiracy online, told Forbes Wednesday. “This type of failure was something that most of them never allowed to penetrate their minds, so to see it happening—and them rendered powerless to stop it—is truly jarring.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glwk8OskVAU

"Everybody was deeply invested in this theory. If you talk to people who have left cults, few of them would say, ah yeah I just gave up on it and left. No, there's an emotional, intellectual journey that has to happen for every single one of these hundreds of thousands of people. They have to go through rigorous deprogramming."

Yeah, it's almost like when they think Jesus is coming and he never shows up. Most of them keep making excuses but some snap out of it and leave the cult.

I thought this was hilarious! My idiot, gullible TBM wife kept believing this was going to happen and was buying up matches, candles, food and other crap! I kept telling her nothing was going to happen and she needs to keep reading one-sided garbage on the internet. I guess that makes me a prophet now! When will these Mormons ever learn that there is no need to overplan for anything. My wife even made me put gas in all the cars on Tuesday, not sure what for, to drive to where??

*meant to say, "..she needs to quit reading..."

My TBM sister was noting how frail and old Biden looked, like he can't lead. Then she started talking about the guidance of the Mormon prophet. I said, "He looks old and frail." A giant whooshing sound went right over her head.

Besides which President Gramps looks to be in considerably better shape than Mr Tangerine Man. He just doesn't have a three pound comb-over and a dye job.

And yeah, Rusty is no spring chicken either. Mentally Rusty seems ok, but he is looking frail, which is perfectly normal for someone in mid nineties.

If you consider your wife an idiot, do her a favor and respectfully part ways.

Does she know you refer to her this way?

She may be confused and deluded, but she deserves better than someone who feels this way about her.

"if you talk to people who have left cults, few [how many, more or less is 'few'? And of this 'few'-group of people who have left "cults", yeah, not just one, but more than one, has the reporter interviewed?] of them would say, 'ah yeah I just gave up on it and left."

It appears to me that there is an admission that some cultist DO just give up and leave.

But instead of allowing for that distinction to exist, the quoted author opines, "No, there's an emotional, intellectual journey that has to happen for every single one of these hundreds of thousands of people. They have to go through rigorous deprogramming."

So the conclusion we're to accept is that no one gets out of a cult without rigorous deprogramming. I think the OP finds this an attractive proposition because it feeds his ego.

Aside from wondering about the contradiction displayed, one is curious to know if the OP feels he went through rigorous deprogramming? Or as they say on TV, "Just how rigorous was it?"

And what's the difference between scratching your head and saying to yourself, "hmmm, this whole thing seems fishy" and "rigorous deprogramming"?

I've seen a small number of people retract from the practice of mormonism with seeming ease. Maybe it's dependent on personality traits? Or maybe it's just different strokes for different folks?

Maybe some people think that the more complicated a process sounds, the better it must be? Einstein and the Tao! The new crime fighting team coming to your screen this Fall, on ABC!!

My "programming" hit the floor like a clumsy waitress dropping a plate when I realized the fraud. Never even gave the church another thought. It was the biggest relief of my life. I was floating. Couldn't wait to live in the real world.

No one I know who left the church required deprogramming. We were only trained to think less of ourselves and give money. It wasn't like we were being indoctrinated to overthrow a government or leave the planet on the next UFO from Saturn or strap bombs to ourselves.

There's cults and then their CULTS. QAnon it wasn't.

Done & Done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My "programming" hit the floor like a clumsy
> waitress dropping a plate when I realized the
> fraud. Never even gave the church another
> thought. It was the biggest relief of my life. I
> was floating. Couldn't wait to live in the real
> world.
>
> No one I know who left the church required
> deprogramming. We were only trained to think less
> of ourselves and give money. It wasn't like we
> were being indoctrinated to overthrow a government
> or leave the planet on the next UFO from Saturn or
> strap bombs to ourselves.
>
> There's cults and then their CULTS. QAnon it
> wasn't.

My deprogramming involved a lot of reading, writing and articulating a more tenable world view than the one I inherited and bought, hook, line and sinker. But I think to Cognitive Dissonance QAnon CULT members are dealing with today is probably a lot like what the JW's experienced when every one of their prophecies failed.

“A man with conviction is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.” When Prophecy Fails, Leon Festinger

That description of a “man with conviction” could very easily be applied to many “apocalyptic” Jehovah’s Witnesses. Because Festinger’s insights on cognitive dissonance make it seem that he was writing about some JWs, I will present my review this way:

“…[S]uppose <the JW> is presented with undeniable evidence that his belief is wrong: What will happen? <The JW> will emerge, not only unshaken, but more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than before. Indeed, <the JW> may show a new fervor about convincing and converting other people to his view.”

http://www.aawa.co/blog/cognitive-dissonance-and-jehovahs-witnesses/

schrodingerscat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...

> But I think to Cognitive Dissonance
> QAnon CULT members are dealing with today is
> probably a lot like what the JW's experienced when
> every one of their prophecies failed.

I don't think this happened with most of the JW flock. There is always an explanation for a change in views from the top. Despite their love of the scripture that Jehovah is "the same yesterday, today and tomorrow".

> “A man with conviction is a hard man to change.
> Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him
> facts or figures and he questions your sources.
> Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.”
> When Prophecy Fails, Leon Festinger
>
> That description of a “man with conviction”
> could very easily be applied to many
> “apocalyptic” Jehovah’s Witnesses. Because
> Festinger’s insights on cognitive dissonance
> make it seem that he was writing about some JWs, I
> will present my review this way:
>
> “…suppose is presented with undeniable
> evidence that his belief is wrong: What will
> happen? will emerge, not only unshaken, but more
> convinced of the truth of his beliefs than before.
> Indeed, may show a new fervor about convincing
> and converting other people to his view.”

This seems to contradict the above statements. Did they experience cog diss? Did they renounce their membership? Are they more convinced than ever of their beliefs? People are rarely one huge amorphous whole. It's more useful to speak in terms of individuals or percentages than "JWs" in general as if they think and walk in lockstep at times when doubt arises. Also, outsiders may see a concept clearly but those deeply involved in a group like JWs very likely do not view it the same way. It is almost a cloistered faith where adherents are strongly encouraged to read only materials produced by their governing body, The WatchTower Society, and to associate only with fellow JWs. Little chance for those born in to develop an inquiring mind and to follow through on their doubts or questions, which are so strongly discouraged. And even for converts, once you have made the giant commitment it's difficult to extract oneself.

Fortunately, many do manage to get out, for various reasons. As with growing up Mormon, for those born into the WTS (JWs) it can be an excruciating process to extract oneself and often involves leaving their families. (JWs are past masters at the shunning practice. I experienced this myself when, as a convert, I left after they made an exerted effort to separate me from my (non-JW) family. That was a bridge too far for me. Also, I realized that there is no way that going door to door was changing many minds and gaining huge numbers of converts. That was the first time I asked myself whether the JW beliefs could be erroneous. I had previously just focused on the Paradise part - that one day we could all be in Paradise. Like a reset as we screwed it up the first time 'round. Sounded appealing to me, as a malleable teenager unfamiliar with mainstream religious doctrine.

another forbes link ~


how much does OPie get paid ? ~


to shrill off topic ? ~

I just wanted to note that cults are on-topic here. The QAnon movement may view Trump as its savior, but at the root, this is just another cult where scammers are playing rubes for some personal benefit. The Trump part was just a hook to attract that market segment.

With Trump out of power now, the cult will follow the path of other cults when fundamental prophecies have failed: most of the adherents will see the error of their ways and leave, and others will remain faithful because they distrust themselves and need the cult to prop up their self esteem. The scammers will change the doctrine, reinterpreting past predictions so that they can claim that there was no failure, and continue to prey on the believers.

The cult will change, but it will continue to exist. I hope someone sets up a Recovery from QAnon site to help the wounded.

CZ (admin and ziller fan)

Concrete Zipper Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------
> The cult will change, but it will continue to
> exist. I hope someone sets up a Recovery from
> QAnon site to help the wounded.

Good idea. Got any spare time CZ? :)

ziller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> another forbes link ~
>
>
> how much does OPie get paid ? ~
>
>
> to shrill off topic ? ~

What news source is acceptable to Ziller?

I tend to favor the ones that are more reliable/less biased, Forbes and NPR definitely qualify.

https://www.adfontesmedia.com/interactive-media-bias-chart-2/

Why does ziller hog all the return characters when there are posters here who desperately need some of them to put a little white space in their posts?

Good question, BoJ.

I had friends here in Utah who, in 2009, were absolutely convinced that inflation was going to go through the roof because "those people" were going into the White House.

They never specified what "those people" meant. I suppose they did not want to sound unevolved. They insisted we all should buy gold and food storage because money would be worthless.

It's now been 12 years. Still waiting for that hyperinflation. My friends have never admitted they were wrong. I guess it works like predictions that Jesus' return is just around the corner. Their timing was off a bit, but just you wait.

And wait. And wait.

Where's Godot when you need him?

Other articles -


https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a-new-religion-could-rise-from-the-ashes-of-qanon

[don't stare at the screen]

---

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/some-qanon-followers-struggle-inauguration-day-n1255002

---

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/tech/qanon-believers-inauguration-reaction/index.html

haha,
"If he doesn't impose martial law today, then I'm going to think that my vote doesn't count for anything."

Awesome, keep believing that your vote doesn't count until every state South of the Mason Dixon Line and behind the Zion Curtain turns blue like Georgia.

Perhaps whatever's left we can give back to the Native Americans and make it all a big Reservation and any pilgrims who want to still live there and follow the new Q religion have to pay idiot taxes to the Native Americans, at their casinos.

schrodingerscat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Rothschild, who recently
> published a book about conspiracy theories

You couldn't make this stuff up. LOL.

Word has it that Anyname Rockefeller and the head of Opus Dei will be co-writing the next edition.

“We all got played” - ‘one user lamented on the Telegram’

Such journalism. An article titled with a quote from “someone”.

Credibility - 0
Sensational click bait - 100