,
5 tweets,
1 min read
Read on Twitter
Some sixteen years ago I was radicalized. For three years, I believed in a radical, violent ideology. I'm grateful that during that period, I never hurt anyone physically. But when I see acts of violence by radicalized individuals, I feel an upswell of anger at my former self.
Anger at a much younger self - but also compassion. With the wisdom of two decades of hindsight, I can see where that supremacism came from. It came from pain, from an acute awareness of my powerlessness. From a deficit of meaning and belonging. And from a crushing lack of hope.
The ideologies aren't the essence of radicalization, and studying ideologies as if they're the *cause* of radicalization is stupid and misguided. Ideologies are products. Ask yourself, why are there so many customers? Why is that *particular* person an eager customer?
Here's an offer today. Ask me anything about my radicalization (and deradicalization). I can't promise to answer immediately, but I'll try to answer all good-faith questions.
This is from 2015, and is a model I developed watching other people's radicalization (it was at the height of the ISIS wave) - and compare it to my own previous radicalization.
