I think you nailed the issue at hand.
It’s ultimately about feeling good about oneself and ones own actions. People don’t want complex analysis and empathy is very hard. Much easier to have a scapegoat. An easy target that will not defend itself and one can justify his or her own missteps and deficiencies through “fighting evil incarnate”.
Societies are tribal. It’s very hard to be contrarian and stand firm for what you believe. Much easier to fall in line and go with the flow. Easier to avoid responsibility if you “were just following orders” and “did what everybody else did”.
The principal biological root cause of this phenomenon is physical weakness. As only a small minority of the population undertake serious martial or physical training, only this small minority are
de facto free thinkers. When one is too physically weak and lacks the confidence to defend themselves against multiple or single assailants, they go along with the perceived socially acceptable view as a natural defence mechanism against being ganged up on. They subconsciously fear heterodox opinions will make them a target of violence by the group of people they're talking with.
They then engage in mental gymnastics to justify their cowardice and why they agree with the left, but when you forcefully press them in conversation about their views and beliefs they break down - because they either don't have any, or their true beliefs have been so thoroughly suppressed over decades that they are frozen with fear and can't get the words out.
This is also the reason why Joe Rogan has risen to be the most popular commentator and interviewer on the free market. He's highly physically trained and thus will simple say what he truly believes with candor and respect because he doesn't fear these people.
The left enforces their dogma by violent intimidation. "I have this sign please don't target my house or Tesla"