Cultivating Cults
Some of my favorite research and training has been on the issue of cults. It’s a topic that is fascinating on so many levels. Of course, it can turn dangerous too. Have you ever thought about why someone or a group of people would take the time to create a system of beliefs and carefully craft out ways to get others to follow? Is it simply a lust for power? Do they enjoy manipulating people that much? Does having “special knowledge” give them a sense of purpose or bring meaning to their lives? If you’ve followed cults at all, then you know any and all of those things may be true. An internet search can help anyone find even more common characteristics of cults. I suggest you take the time to do that. BUT, defining cults is not the focus of this post. I’d like you to consider not just what characteristics make a cult, but why someone would cultivate one, and what things make a person susceptible to willingly follow/join a cult. Let’s take a second to examine the latter.
It’s not hard to understand how someone can be coerced into joining a cult through violence, fear, incentives etc. It’s a bit more difficult to comprehend why someone would willingly go along with and recruit others to follow something that is easily proven false by objective sources. Sure, we all have areas of ignorance and blind spots. Some of us have a stronger yearning to belong to a group and want to feel like we are contributing to the growth of the group. Let’s face it, we don’t always do our due diligence to look into things as deep as we should either. Considering those factors, it’s not all that shocking to see why someone would go along with a cult without much coaxing. However, the part that is harder to accept is when we present the person with objective facts, which should cause rational people to reject false beliefs, or at least cause them to doubt some (all) of the things they believe are true. Yet, we often see a cultist get angry, become defensive, lash out, or even double down on these beliefs. Many things have been written about this phenomenon by much smarter folks than me, so I won’t give further analysis. I just wanted to highlight something most of us (if not all) have observed. Now allow me to add another element to the equation…
Cultivation theory! There’s another research assignment for you if you’re interested. A simple definition is that media influences us in certain ways and over time can affect how we view reality. One might say that anything we consume can potentially have some kind of effect on us. No argument here. What stands out about many types of media, however, is how they can be used to reach so many people at once AND feed off each other. If you hear something from one source you consider reliable you may be fairly convinced, but multiple sources would make you feel more secure, and if most sources are saying it then all doubt may be removed in your mind. That’s powerful! On the face of it, why would you consider anything else to be true? You would either have to be armed with facts or truth that contradicted their claims and/or have a habit of questioning things on a deeper level. Even then, what if the thing those sources claimed lined up with something you already wanted to believe was true? Confirmation bias anyone?! Now we have the external and internal clashing or perhaps working together, depending on your habits or where you land on a particular issue. All it took was a little seed to be cultivated into the equation to cause some confusion. Confusion is where cults thrive. They can prey on your ignorance and present a “clear solution” to a real or perceived problem. But their false knowledge will only lead you FURTHER from a solution and perhaps more convinced you are on the side of wisdom. That’s the worst place you can be — WRONG AND DECEIVED!
Other than Truth, the best method to fight against the cult cultivators ironically shares a name with one of the biggest cults of our day — science! Science is a method which involves gathering and analyzing data, it’s NOT a belief system! That shouldn’t need to be emphasized, but clearly it does. We have our highest paid bureaucrat and cult leader in Anthony Fauci going as far as saying he is science, while actual scientific data (or his own mouth) undermines each and every one of his assertions. Any one of us can use the scientific method (and our own eyes and minds) to test the veracity of his claims (or those of his minions) and conclude he is a false prophet. Yet, many still believe in him and “trust the science.” The inability to see what is right in front of you is likely due to a refusal to accept his (and your) hypotheses are wrong. Alternatively, it may be a result of an ideological/political view so strong that a thick fog has come between you and relevant facts. Yet, faux-prophet Fauci claims he alone is above politics and truly represents science, as his followers shake their pom-poms in support. People who agree with him are welcomed into the club, but those who don’t are the real problem according to his ilk. It’s not unlike the “science” behind climate change where the same methods are applied — none of which are scientific in the objective definition of the word. If you don’t subscribe to the narrative you don’t get funding and can’t be part of the scientific consensus. Unsurprisingly, the ‘Covid Cult’ and the ‘Climate Change Cult’ are among the most powerful in society today. They represent a two-headed wrecking ball where the few people who aren’t members of both cults work closely with members of the other. They may have their cultist followers convinced they are “following the science,” when in reality the only reason they follow science is to assault and kill it in a dark alley. Of course, like all agents of darkness, they masquerade as ambassadors of light. The father of lies himself would be impressed by the cultivation efforts of these cultists!
Cults gonna cultivate…