The contagion and seduction of the cult mentality...
Why do we seem to have an inbred fear of freedom, of standing alone, apart and above the mundane so that we deny all that makes us singular people to embrace all that curtails our right to choose? When and why do we learn to distrust our own judgment and blindly submit to the judgments of others? When does the action or philosophy of any group cease to be a fun inspired community endeavor while it turns the concepts of 'comfort,' 'good,' or 'just' into the weapons of determined marauders who blatantly steamroller the rights of any who disagree? When, if ever, do we realize our group has become a mob? Even worse, when, if ever, do we wake up to the horror that we have joined a cult?
There are significant similarities between mobs and cults. There are also frightening differences between mobs and cults. Usually leaderless, most mobs are born from a single idea coupled with good intentions and they burst into being like a super nova in space, pulling us along in the heat of the moment, enthralled by the shared heat of emotions run amok, only to fade into bad memories of strife, conflict, harsh pain and embarrassed shame at our loss of direction and self-control. Fortunately, few of us feel beholden or tied to the mob or its actions. There must be a solid 'vessel' to accept our trust and loyalty, and as mobs crumble of their own weigh and momentum, so too does our need to belong desert us. We're left with only a few bruises, scars and recollections of shared but fading insanity.
Cults are more seductive than mobs. First, they have recognized leaders who reach out to embrace and caress the lonely, the confused, the blindly adamant and the fearful. The leader has an anointed and invested hierarchy, not only to offer comfort and guidance when the leader is apart from the group to ponder lofty ideas and plans, but to keep the members corralled, controlled and grateful for inclusion, aware of and adhering to the rules always set down to assure the survival of the group, the expansion of its ranks and the supremacy and power of the one in charge. The cult offers a haven and refuge, an assurance of worthiness, a recognition and appreciation of conformity. It offers succor when hungry, encouragement when needy, and loyalty in return for loyalty, and all a 'member' must provide is a unique contribution to the benefit of the cult, be it money, physical work, the recruitment and conversion of new members to the cause, or the protection from harassment, rumor, harm or exposure of the leader, the lieutenants, and the cause itself. In preying on human weakness, cults find and hold their greatest strength.
One of the most wealthy and subversive cults today is the cult of fashion. Its members are predominantly women although the leadership is usually male, supported by female deputies. Any adult woman who buys and wears underwire bras, stiletto heels, and clothing best designed for adolescent girls has succumbed to the seduction of the cult over her own good judgment. Any woman who tries to alter her body to fit the fad of the moment at the cost of her comfort and health is ruled by the cult. So, too, are all those who encourage such self defeating actions, be they female or male.
Sports franchises, be they college teams or professional, are cult inspired. Team members regardless of their personal attributes and attitudes are lauded and worshipped as idols by owners who understand and manipulate their team's fan base to the greater glory of the franchise's bottom line. If not a cult, why would any groups of good will or good sense, near bankrupt the cities that house them and a next generation's future by building bigger and gaudier arenas for gladiatorial games while residents at their locations go without decent housing, education, enough food, or good health? The games in ancient Rome also had a cult following prior to that country's fall. What's the difference between hot dogs, beer and football and Rome's gift to the masses - a little bread and a circus?
The appeal of the cult is one reason grown and supposedly mature men still guard the secrets of college boy groups like Skull and Bones.
The appeal of cults is one of the reasons there is still a Klux Klux Klan.
The appeal and promises of cults is the primary reason there are specific political parties whose campaigns, false promises and negative actions are for the good of their party rather than the benefit of this nation or its entire population. Caligula, an emperor of ancient Rome made his horse a Senator prior to that country's fall. Funny, but often a sound similar to a whinny can be heard on Capitol Hill.
The comfort of belonging to a cult is one of the reasons individual religions and religious sects survive. Every major recognized religion in today's world represents the oldest surviving cults. Names may vary, but each cult's method is always the same, preying on superstition, weakness, and fear by offering community, absolution and life without end.
Business interests whatever their 'product' and whether domestic or global, are cults whose technique is control and whose goal is power even when their basic cause is money.
If you read the above, you need not take my word for it, but at least think about it. Make your own list of how many cults you have unwittingly and unnecessarily joined. Are those cults a burden? Do they make you feel free? Do they offer you joy and comfort at no cost? Does it bring you joy to never have to think for yourself?
Why do we seem to have an inbred fear of freedom, of standing alone, apart and above the mundane so that we deny all that makes us singular people to embrace all that curtails our right to choose? When and why do we learn to distrust our own judgment and blindly submit to the judgments of others? When does the action or philosophy of any group cease to be a fun inspired community endeavor while it turns the concepts of 'comfort,' 'good,' or 'just' into the weapons of determined marauders who blatantly steamroller the rights of any who disagree? When, if ever, do we realize our group has become a mob? Even worse, when, if ever, do we wake up to the horror that we have joined a cult?
There are significant similarities between mobs and cults. There are also frightening differences between mobs and cults. Usually leaderless, most mobs are born from a single idea coupled with good intentions and they burst into being like a super nova in space, pulling us along in the heat of the moment, enthralled by the shared heat of emotions run amok, only to fade into bad memories of strife, conflict, harsh pain and embarrassed shame at our loss of direction and self-control. Fortunately, few of us feel beholden or tied to the mob or its actions. There must be a solid 'vessel' to accept our trust and loyalty, and as mobs crumble of their own weigh and momentum, so too does our need to belong desert us. We're left with only a few bruises, scars and recollections of shared but fading insanity.
Cults are more seductive than mobs. First, they have recognized leaders who reach out to embrace and caress the lonely, the confused, the blindly adamant and the fearful. The leader has an anointed and invested hierarchy, not only to offer comfort and guidance when the leader is apart from the group to ponder lofty ideas and plans, but to keep the members corralled, controlled and grateful for inclusion, aware of and adhering to the rules always set down to assure the survival of the group, the expansion of its ranks and the supremacy and power of the one in charge. The cult offers a haven and refuge, an assurance of worthiness, a recognition and appreciation of conformity. It offers succor when hungry, encouragement when needy, and loyalty in return for loyalty, and all a 'member' must provide is a unique contribution to the benefit of the cult, be it money, physical work, the recruitment and conversion of new members to the cause, or the protection from harassment, rumor, harm or exposure of the leader, the lieutenants, and the cause itself. In preying on human weakness, cults find and hold their greatest strength.
One of the most wealthy and subversive cults today is the cult of fashion. Its members are predominantly women although the leadership is usually male, supported by female deputies. Any adult woman who buys and wears underwire bras, stiletto heels, and clothing best designed for adolescent girls has succumbed to the seduction of the cult over her own good judgment. Any woman who tries to alter her body to fit the fad of the moment at the cost of her comfort and health is ruled by the cult. So, too, are all those who encourage such self defeating actions, be they female or male.
Sports franchises, be they college teams or professional, are cult inspired. Team members regardless of their personal attributes and attitudes are lauded and worshipped as idols by owners who understand and manipulate their team's fan base to the greater glory of the franchise's bottom line. If not a cult, why would any groups of good will or good sense, near bankrupt the cities that house them and a next generation's future by building bigger and gaudier arenas for gladiatorial games while residents at their locations go without decent housing, education, enough food, or good health? The games in ancient Rome also had a cult following prior to that country's fall. What's the difference between hot dogs, beer and football and Rome's gift to the masses - a little bread and a circus?
The appeal of the cult is one reason grown and supposedly mature men still guard the secrets of college boy groups like Skull and Bones.
The appeal of cults is one of the reasons there is still a Klux Klux Klan.
The appeal and promises of cults is the primary reason there are specific political parties whose campaigns, false promises and negative actions are for the good of their party rather than the benefit of this nation or its entire population. Caligula, an emperor of ancient Rome made his horse a Senator prior to that country's fall. Funny, but often a sound similar to a whinny can be heard on Capitol Hill.
The comfort of belonging to a cult is one of the reasons individual religions and religious sects survive. Every major recognized religion in today's world represents the oldest surviving cults. Names may vary, but each cult's method is always the same, preying on superstition, weakness, and fear by offering community, absolution and life without end.
Business interests whatever their 'product' and whether domestic or global, are cults whose technique is control and whose goal is power even when their basic cause is money.
If you read the above, you need not take my word for it, but at least think about it. Make your own list of how many cults you have unwittingly and unnecessarily joined. Are those cults a burden? Do they make you feel free? Do they offer you joy and comfort at no cost? Does it bring you joy to never have to think for yourself?
posted by kaz at 8:10 PM
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