Being recruited, seen, and valued is a powerful early pull into extremism.

Evidence

Three participants found the social milieu of the white supremacy groups particularly attractive, given the absence of social connections before joining. One noted the attraction of being valued. He noted that he was displaced from his community and not feeling that he was “significant to anybody”: “To have someone say, ‘We see you. We see the problem. We believe you can help fix it and we need you.’ And to give that kind of messaging was just, to me at that time, just absolutely intoxicating. And I just went all in really fast.” — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 373

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘we see you… we need you’ dynamic parallels other testimony about recruitment filling an identity void; useful for the reader’s hypothesis test about what sustains vs. dissolves adversarial identity. — connects to: Extremist recruitment recruits through belonging and fellowship, not hatred — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 2020; Anti-terrorist suspicion itself can drive people into extremism. — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 120; Anti-terror suspicion and discrimination can push people toward extremism — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 120 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Extremist groups recruit by supplying the kinship and belonging that members lacked. #expands (0.92) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 372
• Extremist groups sustain membership by offering family-like bonds, power, and mission. #expands (0.86) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 41
• Unmet basic needs like belonging and purpose drive extremist recruitment #expands (0.85) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 57
• Material incentives and organized succession planning strengthen militant group appeal. #expands (0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2494
• Extremists are propelled by belief in a saving mission that others will initially oppose. #expands (0.74) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 376
• Anti-terrorist suspicion itself can drive people into extremism. #qualifies (0.72) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 120
• Anti-terror suspicion and discrimination can push people toward extremism #qualifies (0.72) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 120
• Material privilege and status rewards cement loyalty to a violent regime #qualifies (0.72) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 675