This is my third playthrough: one with my SO where we ended up playing as a centrist even though we didn't really want to, one where I went full communist, and this third one I wanted to see what a fascist playthrough would look like.

Ever since I've internalised the Revacholian Nationhood thought, new dialogue options leaning in to that thought have started popping up here and there - think commenting on the Whirling's cook's lack of proficiency in "Revacholian" language or my liking the story of René's heroic deeds in battle and how he saved the then-leader of the Suzerain. Whenever I choose an option like that, I take morale damage. Why is that?

Is the game trying to say that people who lean fascist/nationalist hurt themselves as just much as they hurt others they try to put down with their ideology? Is it saying that your morale suffers from your own ideology by trying to come up with reason for why things are as bad as they are, ignoring the real reasons?

What's your interpretation? If it's revealed later, please don't spoil it. I've watched numerous video essays about the game at this point, and I'm pretty sure that subject must have come up somewhere - if it did, I don't remember, though.