Originally published at: Why are people still swayed by cults? | Boing Boing
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Short answer: People are gullible. Just at the goofs who still support orange boy and FL governor Mo
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Faith is the most powerful feature of the humans.
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Then, just believe. That’s how belief works. 
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Feature or bug? Discuss.
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A lot of people weaponized it!
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Sure did, no argument there!
But that thing Fox Mulder says?
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The real question is: why do people still fall for the non-sex cults?
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Because reasons lack of reasoning skills.
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Scientology Escapee Tells Skeptics’ Group How It’s Done
Gathered in a room at the New York Public Library Jefferson Market Branch at the Avenue of the Americas and West 10th Street a group listening to an ex-Scientologist evaluated their traits.
Bright? Of course. Curious about the world around me? Sure. Idealistic? Sometimes. Like being the recipient of a compliment? Who doesn’t? Take risks? From time to time.
So when Paul Grosswald, a former Scientologist-turned-anti-cult-lecturer, instructed those who checked off at least three of the nine general statements on a handout to raise their hands, everyone’s digits reached towards the ceiling.
“You are exactly the type of people that cult recruiters are looking for,” he said — which, of course, elicited a peal of laughter since New York City Skeptics, a group of local critical thinkers, was hosting the event last Saturday.
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It’s an error of the human cognition. We gravitate towards patterns, performing rituals with fellow tribe members, and we have an inclination to tie our identity to certain iconographies and easily understandable terminology.
Edit: The very existence of this forum is the result of those cognitive tendencies.
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Ah, saquei! I see!
He believes, but he wanted to believe in these things without being judged by “regular” people. So, it was a desperate plea: Come on, please, let me believe and don’t mock me!
I was reading the other day about people who believe that all movies, TV shows, books and other cultural products are ways for the dreaded shadow elite to indoctrinate people and show them what they are planning for the future. People who believe in these things want to believe and don’t being laughed at, while they make fun of all the rest of people who are smart enough to see that crazy conspiracies are unprobable.
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I’m pretty sure cults are a byproduct of human socialization. My guru taught me that.
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There are a lot of damaged and lonely and isolated people out there. There are also a lot of predators willing to exploit their need for companionship and community and belonging by offering tickets to heaven, secret knowledge, and pseudo-families.
It tells us a lot that the big recruiting ground for cults and guru grifters in the U.S. right now are drug and alcohol rehab programmes.
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It is a positive thing that made us believe in abstract things and brought us here. It is a negative thing that made us believe in abstract things and brought us here.
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Why? Because, like the Universe, Stupid is Infinite.
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Also just so many people looking to sell, hustle look for the next thing, date, express their spirituality, exercise. Gotta go where to the people are and network etc. Almost anyone will realize there’s a little sadness or loneliness in their life from time to time. Remember a lot of people leave rather loving and supportive families for cults.
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Yes. MLM schemes, business support groups, and fitness programmes are also popular entry points to cults these days. Follow the charismatic guru, earn the right to know his secrets, and the easy path to wealth and fame and a hard body are yours.
When that happens there’s often some deeper or hidden dysfunction with either the family or individual. Cult leaders used to also try to recruit adolescents to take advantage of the natural behaviours that occur at that age but they’re a bit more careful about it now.
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I just like looking at bananas
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Thats bananaz man.
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