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Why am I so passionate about the flat earth?

Because it's true, it's liberating, it explains everything (finally), and it totally matches up with reality. Something as foundational as THE BASIC NATURE OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN has to "matter", don't you think?

But as a person who discovered this only recently (a few years ago?) I know how I felt and feel about it.

Imagine a powerful charismatic man like the Antichrist -- more intelligent, better with arguments/debate, and with a sharper mind that most current "flat earth" proponents today. Imagine how convincing he will be, how he will put it all together.
He might even (after taking power) arrange various voyages to Antarctica to prove it. Maybe even reveal continent(s) outside the ice wall. Maybe do a partial re-enactment of Operation Dominic, when they sent rockets STRAIGHT UP to explode against the firmament (they wanted to "get out" -- they failed) -- this time with large crowds watching.

Now imagine how people will react. They will feel that EVERYONE, EVERY ORGANIZATION has betrayed them. They will adhere to said Antichrist out of gratitude and devotion. He will appear to be a heroic bringer of truth, smasher of error/delusion, and wonderful promise for the future.

Do we want to leave this "reveal" to the Man of Sin? God forbid!

No, Traditional Catholics can possess this truth TODAY, and then they won't be floored when the Antichrist reveals it later.

TRUTH MATTERS. It always matters. This is just another way in which it matters.

Why do I want to steal the Antichrist's thunder? It should be obvious -- to reduce, as much as possible, the number of converts he will make. I want to have that many more souls that will NOT adhere to him, and hence be saved for all eternity. I'd say that's a noble cause.

The more insanity/errors you have in your head, the more things the Antichrist can "heal" you from, like when Our Lord healed people of various diseases. Taking away the blindness/error from their minds would be just as compassionate and just as important.
A man who wakes you up, who gives you the truth, is a GOOD GUY, at least in that aspect. You are inclined to believe he is a good guy IN GENERAL, because truth comes from God.

Yes, the importance of FE is in fact spiritual, but we would not accept it were we not also convinced by the science.

But, yes, I'm with you regarding the importance of coming up with some explanation of the Crisis that doesn't wreck Catholic ecclesiology and make you wonder if the Prots and Old Catholics didn't have valid points.  Now, that does NOT strictly have to be SV, but whatever people come up with cannot gut the Church's indefectibility.  Father Chazal's sedeimpoundist position I find perfectly acceptable.

So, really, it seems to me that the reasons for researching FE and SVism are not so different after all!

Shut up and listen.

I don't have anything against sedevacantists individually, or the "position" in the abstract. Or researching to any degree, out of curiosity, desire for knowledge, etc. so you can form a well-founded and prudent OPINION on the matter. What I have a problem with is sedevacantism as an identity: "sedevacantist chapels" and so forth. As if "Traditional Catholic", "independent" weren't good enough.

And you don't seem to understand the problem with being "dogmatic". So listen up: The problem with dogmatic sedevacantists is that they not only believe sedevacantism to be true, they think it's a dogma of the Faith to the point that they condemn other Catholics who reject sedevacantism. They call them non-Catholic, heretic, etc. They think worshiping with non-Sedes is problematic/sinful. THAT is a problem.

It has nothing to do with "honestly believing in a position". That isn't being dogmatic.

When you have been neck deep in Tradition as long as I have, you start to gain a real big picture and dare I say, some wisdom on the matter.

This Crisis has gone on so long, it is plain to me that mankind will not be able to solve it by himself. Furthermore, Sedes and non-Sedes can point to saintly priests/bishops who they follow in the honest hopes of prudently parking their soul for the duration of the Crisis, with the hopes of coming out Catholic on the other side (when the Crisis is over). The confusion has crossed the Rubicon.

The reason I wouldn't be caught dead in a "sedevacantist chapel" is due to danger of SCHISMATIC MENTALITY which I believe is a real danger in many of the chapels. It has nothing to do with their position on the Pope question, which is a mere private matter of opinion, as no one can rule or declare anything definitive on this question with anything approaching dogmatic certainty. God is going to have to intervene to sort that out.

Sedevacantism is an opinion. Opinions are like a-- rmpits. Everyone has one, and it stinks.