> I agree. It happens very often on Hacker News as well where you'd think the average IQ is slightly higher than the public and can see through the propaganda.

IQ doesn't help people see through propaganda, it helps people justify propaganda.

Being neurodivergent helps with seeing through propaganda, but tends to make one socially awkward, perhaps even outcast — think of kids in Catholic families sincerely asking if consuming the Eucharist makes them cannibals, basically every group has something like that where everyone just glosses over the gap without thinking about it.

Former partner of mine was opposed to Musk before it was fashionable, simply because he actually made a success out of Tesla and was therefore rich (this was well before him libelling the cave diver). She supported the original founders over Musk while also opposing cars in general in favour of public transport, and was a green campaigner who supported the UK coal mining strikes.

It happens to all of us. You can almost certainly find some example of that in me — I struggle to find it myself, but I have noticed it. Unfortunately I've also noticed that I keep forgetting the incidents…