Cults are fascinating- some appear to be by opportunists, and others true believers, but all are dangerous. I feel that the word cult is sometimes given a bad name, and it is overlooked in the word culture, yet I think it is a great way to examine modern-day dictatorships and nuclear powers, which still use some some of that power (maybe not so much in the west) to broadcast a cult of personality.
> His primary conversational tactic is to overwhelm. He can go on 20-minute unbroken monologues, especially if the subject turns to his victimhood. Everyone in his past, from his defense attorneys to his own mother, is “corrupt” or “biased.” He firmly believes that he, Felicia, Isabella, and Talia have been poisoned — and are still being poisoned. “We’ve suffered so much, and we’re still suffering so much,” he says.
I no longer speak with my neighbour, but she introduces herself quickly to everyone that moves into the building. When she speaks like this, I suspect it's part of a manic episode.
Plot-twist: our entire society is essentially a cult, parenting and education is simply indoctrination, and the same psychological glitches which are exploited in order to produce compliant citizens are also exploited by would-be cult leaders to control their unfortunate members.
Can't fix the problem because doing so would unravel everything we call society.
I find zero-, positive-, and negative- sum games classification more informative. I guess the negative sum or zero sum cult are oppressive while the positive sum cults are tolerable? Rich are definitely getting richer and it is not so bad as long as poor are also doing a little better?
> and the same psychological glitches which are exploited in order to produce compliant citizens are also exploited by would-be cult leaders to control their unfortunate members.
That's only true in part.
Cults typically play on combinations of specific aspects of psychology, and generally a given cult will only "work" on certain people.
The same is true for parenting and education. Not all children can be effectively parented (or cultily-parented to take your view for a moment) by their specific parents, and certainly not all children can be indoctrinated, let alone educated as intended in a given environment.
Further, I think it's wise to add in these cases that a thing can be systematic and be explained in an organized manner to appear as if it's organized and systematic on purpose, and even designed by specific individuals, when none of that is actually the case. Otherwise we only-humans tend to start looking for someone to blame, effectively hallucinating.
And in many cases the problem you describe can be fixed without unraveling society and _already is being fixed automatically in many ways_. But that also requires going into lots of details to discuss; the generalities alone, while exciting or fear-inducing in isolation, tend to resolve down to too much hand-waving.
A lot of good people are out there working their @$$ses off helping people work together to improve society, bringing the best parts forward while leaving this unwanted stuff behind us.
Yes. Indeed. Thoughts and behavior are inherited in ways exactly the same as evolution but transmitted through various forms of learning and writing, etc. instead of through genetic material.
Saying it with a sneer does not really add anything.
Cult and society being one and the same: a shared delusional thinking that one’s value system is the one true answer. Cult being just a minority with particularly (in the majority’s view) extreme positions.
[+] [-] initramfs|2 years ago|reply
And Ted Patrick! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzlNrWlakmA
Cults are fascinating- some appear to be by opportunists, and others true believers, but all are dangerous. I feel that the word cult is sometimes given a bad name, and it is overlooked in the word culture, yet I think it is a great way to examine modern-day dictatorships and nuclear powers, which still use some some of that power (maybe not so much in the west) to broadcast a cult of personality.
[+] [-] stOneskull|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GartzenDeHaes|2 years ago|reply
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJfm71I0OyU
[+] [-] what-no-tests|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mvncleaninst|2 years ago|reply
> His primary conversational tactic is to overwhelm. He can go on 20-minute unbroken monologues, especially if the subject turns to his victimhood. Everyone in his past, from his defense attorneys to his own mother, is “corrupt” or “biased.” He firmly believes that he, Felicia, Isabella, and Talia have been poisoned — and are still being poisoned. “We’ve suffered so much, and we’re still suffering so much,” he says.
Has anyone here met anyone like this irl?
[+] [-] spicymapotofu|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] spiderfarmer|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] what-no-tests|2 years ago|reply
Can't fix the problem because doing so would unravel everything we call society.
[+] [-] dilawar|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] themodelplumber|2 years ago|reply
That's only true in part.
Cults typically play on combinations of specific aspects of psychology, and generally a given cult will only "work" on certain people.
The same is true for parenting and education. Not all children can be effectively parented (or cultily-parented to take your view for a moment) by their specific parents, and certainly not all children can be indoctrinated, let alone educated as intended in a given environment.
Further, I think it's wise to add in these cases that a thing can be systematic and be explained in an organized manner to appear as if it's organized and systematic on purpose, and even designed by specific individuals, when none of that is actually the case. Otherwise we only-humans tend to start looking for someone to blame, effectively hallucinating.
And in many cases the problem you describe can be fixed without unraveling society and _already is being fixed automatically in many ways_. But that also requires going into lots of details to discuss; the generalities alone, while exciting or fear-inducing in isolation, tend to resolve down to too much hand-waving.
A lot of good people are out there working their @$$ses off helping people work together to improve society, bringing the best parts forward while leaving this unwanted stuff behind us.
[+] [-] colechristensen|2 years ago|reply
Yes. Indeed. Thoughts and behavior are inherited in ways exactly the same as evolution but transmitted through various forms of learning and writing, etc. instead of through genetic material.
Saying it with a sneer does not really add anything.
[+] [-] kdmccormick|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] voisin|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] swayvil|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dylan604|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] it|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] B0073D|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ke88y|2 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] Trasmatta|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] initramfs|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] darkclouds|2 years ago|reply
If he made it to trillions and had millions of followers, he'd be called a president.
If he made it to trillions and had billions of followers, he'd be called Jesus.
[+] [-] colechristensen|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] imperio59|2 years ago|reply
No thanks.
[+] [-] DiggyJohnson|2 years ago|reply