So many people I know are baffled by the ongoing support of Donald Trump by US voters. I point out that they are failing to look at Trump through the lens of meaning.
While it may seem to those of us on the outside that Trump loyalists are mostly angry, unhappy people, and some of them certainly are, a great many of them are quite happy and have a sense of belonging and purpose. Can most people who are planning to vote for Joe Biden say the same? Like it or not, the MAGA movement has created a form of community and meaning, things we are sorely lacking in our country.
I’ve posted this meaning hierarchy several times, but it bears repeating in the context of the upcoming US election:
Meaning as emotional significance (feeling) trumps
Meaning as narrative cohesion (story), which trumps
Meaning as intellectual understanding (facts)
My pun is intended – Trump plays at the upper levels of the meaning hierarchy, feelings and story, while other politicians generally play at the lower level of intellectual facts (about policies, economic performance, Trump’s indictments, etc.), and then people wonder why Trump keeps polling so well “when we have all the facts on our side.”
Imagine a movie which is only composed of statements of fact: Characters appear, state facts, and other characters respond with facts. What the characters feel or desire and where the story is going are all considered to be irrelevant fluff. Would this inspire you? Is this something you would be willing to watch? If we keep downplaying the importance of emotions and compelling stories in politics, voters seeking meaning will continue to be attracted to candidates and movements that provide more than facts.
Does this mean eliciting lots of fear, anger and hatred like Trump does when he’s onstage at his rallies? Not at all, but it does mean being honestly curious about the community his supporters enjoy before, during and after these rallies. It means seeing how Trump supporters feel themselves to be part of a larger meaningful political project. And, we shouldn’t be so shy about tapping into strong emotions – given what is at stake in this election, anger and fear can be appropriate emotions to feel.
Yes, there are some deeply concerning elements of personality cult surrounding Trump, but before we dismiss the entire movement as a bunch of crazies, perhaps we should humbly consider what we might learn to use from them about meaning and community.
My introduction to the power of MAGA meaning started in the summer of 2019, before the freight train of Covid had even started to make the tracks rumble. I was having tacos with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while and the discussion turned, predictably, to the TV series we were watching. I noticed one of my friends was pretty quiet during this part of the discussion, so I asked him directly what he was watching and his reply struck me. He said something like, “I don’t need to watch any TV because real life is so much more interesting.”
After lunch, I walked with him back to his house and he shared that he had never been happier in his adult life. I was curious, so I asked more questions and it became clear my friend was part of a community which had helped him change his life in some significant ways. He had given up alcohol, caffeine and sugar, and he was eating well, exercising and using preventative medicine.
As I inquired further, I learned he was connecting with people all over the US, and even around the world, to support each other in researching the problems afflicting our society and discovering solutions. These folks had welcomed him with open arms and they all cheered each other on in their various investigations.
I had only vaguely heard of QAnon and this friend was hesitant to bring up the name, just as QAnon members are these days. Once I understood what he was researching with his community, and the actions they were advocating for, which included the extra-judicial arrests of politicians and actors and imprisoning them in GuantanamoBay, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be horrified.
Still, I could not ignore the positive changes in my friend’s behavior. As I continued to interview him, I saw what seemed like some very interesting meaning-making practices within the QAnon movement, and they seemed to fit fairly well with our three core psychological needs of Autonomy, Relatedness and Competence, which I’ve covered previously. Not all Trump followers are part of QAnon, obviously, but in my view, at least some of these elements have spread into the broader movement.
Some Community and Meaning-Making Practices of MAGA / QAnon:
Empowering Agency: Instead of lecturing followers about what’s happening in the world or what they should do, Q drops are questions that invite people to “do their own research.” Now, the questions often seem to be leading ones, and the “research” many people do is to simply find evidence supporting their existing biases and conspiracies, but this approach of inviting participation through bite-sized investigations, some of it quite challenging, might be something worth considering for any political or social movement. This is what my QAnon friend means by real life being so interesting.
Nurturing Belonging: We have a loneliness epidemic in the developed world and many people are hungry for a sense of community. MAGA/QAnon seems to deliver, whereas progressive groups seem to struggle with this, in my experience. Granted, MAGA/QAnon seems to lean on creating us/them dynamics of the Q in-group and the “evil” out-groups, but from accounts I’ve heard and read, people, including a growing number of People of Color, feel very welcomed into the community. And there is an undeniable level of shared energy and happiness at rallies.
Cultivating Growth: As my friend described it, the Q community is composed of people who have gained particular expertise, so if there’s an investigation related to global shipping, members who have been carefully monitoring and learning about shipping patterns will be called upon to contribute and show off their knowledge. When newbies start to make contributions to the group research projects, they get lots of affirmation, which motivates them to continue.
Now, how might a progressive political movement, seeking to counterbalance MAGA meaning, employ and expand on these practices? Here are some initial thoughts for your consideration:
Empowering Agency: Progressive movements could benefit from adopting a narrative framework that not only outlines the overarching goals and values but also invites active participation in shaping and advancing the big progressive story itself. Unlike traditional top-down approaches that rely on slogans or policy objectives, a coherent and evolving narrative could provide individuals with meaningful roles (on and off-line) in both adding to the narrative and taking action in the real world. By presenting issues as part of a developing, cumulative, and compelling shared story, participants would have the sense they're co-authoring the narrative alongside their peers.
Nurturing Belonging: Let’s admit we’re not very good at this currently. What if we had a community where individuals feel not only welcomed but also valued and integral to the collective story? Progressive movements can learn from QAnon's success in nurturing belonging by creating inclusive spaces that prioritize genuine connection, empathy, and mutual respect. Rather than relying on divisive us-versus-them dynamics and sub-group identity, progressive groups can emphasize the shared humanity and interconnectedness of all members, regardless of background or experience. This inclusive approach fosters a sense of belonging going beyond surface-level camaraderie, encouraging participants to actively contribute to the co-creation of the movement's narrative and vision for a better world.
Cultivating Growth: In my experience as a volunteer with a number of progressive nonprofits (over several decades), there is definitely room for personal growth, but often not much structure to support it. Structure isn’t for everyone, but could more structure improve volunteer engagement and longer term commitment? How might such structure be built around a compelling shared narrative that could help guide people into meaningful roles with suggested paths of growth? Similar to QAnon's practice of celebrating small victories, how could groups better recognize and celebrate the day to day accomplishments of volunteers?
In the end, facts aren’t really meaningful unless they’re embedded in coherent stories that excite us and movements which welcome us. Every political campaign is an election of meaning, and without the warmth of emotional and social meaning, factual meaning will continue to leave voters cold. This is why any politician or political movement should take the meaning hierarchy seriously and begin to experiment with practices that will build agency, belonging and growth.