This Is A Cult

A leader who cannot be questioned. Members who parrot the same phrases. Outsiders who are dismissed as brainwashed. Anyone who leaves is shunned. Anyone who stays is praised. The group has a name for itself. But the behavior has another name: cult.

In this episode, I examine the cult-like dynamics that have emerged in political activism, corporate wellness, and online communities. The language of progressive activism now mirrors the language of high-control groups. There is a doctrine that cannot be challenged. There are heretics who are excommunicated. There are purity tests that escalate until no one passes. The group claims to be fighting for justice. The structure claims to be horizontal. But the leader's word is law, and dissent is violence.

The corporate wellness industry has its own cults. Multilevel marketing companies isolate members from skeptical friends. Wellness influencers sell protocols that replace medical care. The group provides community, purpose, and identity. In exchange, the member provides money, loyalty, and silence. The signs are clear. The denial is fierce.

Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because the first step to leaving a cult is admitting you are in one.