I disagree with the point about hero narratives. I think it's mostly the people who fully adhere to the mainstream narrative who tend to see themselves as heroes sacrificing their own (and other people's) freedom for the 'public good'... Mainstream media is constantly attacking conspiracy theorists and projecting them as villains, not heroes.

Unlike most of the mainstream crowd, conspiracy theorists tend to consume media from a wide range of sources so they are very well aware of how they are perceived by different groups of people and they don't expect to receive any credit or recognition for their belief system; quite the opposite, it's a burden; they are vilified and locked out opportunities.

Their position is grounded in frustration and anger at a system which clearly doesn't work for them and many others. Self-actualization is a higher level need which most conspiracy theorists are nowhere near attaining. Most of them haven't even reached the 'Love and belonging' level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs... They are far too concerned with trying to attain the feeling of 'Safety and security' to even begin to think about things like status.

The hero narrative is a fanciful projection which only makes sense from the perspective of people who see the world through rose-colored lenses. Conspiracy theorists see themselves as victims, not heroes.