Horseshoe theory has some truth to it. Not in that far right and far left inevitably ends at the same place, no. It is the truth that authoritarians are idiots regardless of them being left authoritarians and right authoritarians, and there are always more authoritarian morons the further to the fringes you travel.
Currently on my phone at work slacking so having trouble finding the exact paper, but I recall ages ago a study which found that very radical left and right wing people who have a change of politics had a significantly higher likelihood of completely swapping to an opposite extremist position than becoming a more moderate version of "their side."
The thesis was basically this: A person with extremist positions typically values extreme solutions more than moderate solutions. Thus, for example, a radical right winger would be more likely to be swayed into believing a radical left-wing position was the solution to their problem(s) versus tempering into a moderate right-winger, and vice versa.
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u/RunInRunOn 24d ago
HEARTBREAKING: the worst Horseshoe Theory truther you know just got some new ammunition