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I think a key point maybe getting missed here is that cults do not want their members to leave. In Digital Vegan I wrote a short chapter about cults in tech, or

I think a key point maybe getting missed here is that cults do not want their members to leave. In Digital Vegan I wrote a short chapter about cults in tech, or rather the "cults of tech". Facebook is one (for the users not employees). Emotional blackmail and tricks are used to keep people from leaving. Here it seems withdrawing membership is a threat to enforce behaviours, as in many secret/privileged societies, hence, as I said in a comment above, this is a clique within Google (of cult members - and probably participants in all sorts of other unsavoury and disgraceful stuff) Edit: to distinguish membership of Google from membership of the "Fellowship" cult)

threads2 4y ago
Interesting. At first I thought this was a pedantic distinction but now I'm getting it: Cliques are exclusive and dispassionate - your will keeps you in a clique. Cults are inclusive and coercive, their will keeps you in the cult. Are there any books one can read about this distinction? Seems like you could arrive at some pretty interesting conclusions if you talk this out.
- nonrandomstring 4y ago
  FWIW these [1,2,3] articles summarise some of the key markers I was interested in while specifically researching Facebook. [1] https://www.alternet.org/2014/12/8-ways-facebook-cult-just-scientology/ https://www.alternet.org/2014/12/8-ways-facebook-cult-just-s... [2] https://senseimarketing.com/is-facebook-a-modern-day-cult/ https://senseimarketing.com/is-facebook-a-modern-day-cult/ [3] https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/facebook-culture-cult-like-former-employees-report.html https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/facebook-culture-cult-like-...
Viliam1234 4y ago
> cults do not want their members to leave It doesn't necessarily work this way. For example, some cults get rid of members after they stop being useful (able to pay money or work for the cult). If you get burned out or seriously sick, if you get unemployed, and if you already donated all your savings to the cult... then you become a burden. The group will kick you out under some pretext, e.g. accuse you of being an unrepentant sinner. Sometimes the members are psychologically unable to leave. Imagine being in a cult since early childhood (your parents joined the cult), having all your family in the cult, not having any friends outside the cult (because you are forbidden from associating with non-members). Imagine knowing that if you leave the cult for any reason, everyone you know will be forbidden to talk to you. In such case, kicking you out is a serious threat. Also, if the cult believes that members get to heaven and non-members get to hell, and you believe it too, then you are also afraid to be kicked out. You can keep threatening people, if you know there is a 99% chance they will get scared and obey. (I am not saying that this applies to the group described in the article. Just objecting against the general idea that if a group threatens to kick someone out, it is not a cult.)
- nonrandomstring 4y ago
  Fair enough, You make some good points (that I actually mention in my chapter, informed by someone who escaped a cult). But you're right, the threat to expel is another lever for control.

threads2 4y ago

Interesting. At first I thought this was a pedantic distinction but now I'm getting it: Cliques are exclusive and dispassionate - your will keeps you in a clique. Cults are inclusive and coercive, their will keeps you in the cult. Are there any books one can read about this distinction? Seems like you could arrive at some pretty interesting conclusions if you talk this out.

nonrandomstring 4y ago
FWIW these [1,2,3] articles summarise some of the key markers I was interested in while specifically researching Facebook. [1] https://www.alternet.org/2014/12/8-ways-facebook-cult-just-scientology/ https://www.alternet.org/2014/12/8-ways-facebook-cult-just-s... [2] https://senseimarketing.com/is-facebook-a-modern-day-cult/ https://senseimarketing.com/is-facebook-a-modern-day-cult/ [3] https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/facebook-culture-cult-like-former-employees-report.html https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/facebook-culture-cult-like-...

Viliam1234 4y ago

> cults do not want their members to leave It doesn't necessarily work this way. For example, some cults get rid of members after they stop being useful (able to pay money or work for the cult). If you get burned out or seriously sick, if you get unemployed, and if you already donated all your savings to the cult... then you become a burden. The group will kick you out under some pretext, e.g. accuse you of being an unrepentant sinner. Sometimes the members are psychologically unable to leave. Imagine being in a cult since early childhood (your parents joined the cult), having all your family in the cult, not having any friends outside the cult (because you are forbidden from associating with non-members). Imagine knowing that if you leave the cult for any reason, everyone you know will be forbidden to talk to you. In such case, kicking you out is a serious threat. Also, if the cult believes that members get to heaven and non-members get to hell, and you believe it too, then you are also afraid to be kicked out. You can keep threatening people, if you know there is a 99% chance they will get scared and obey. (I am not saying that this applies to the group described in the article. Just objecting against the general idea that if a group threatens to kick someone out, it is not a cult.)

nonrandomstring 4y ago
Fair enough, You make some good points (that I actually mention in my chapter, informed by someone who escaped a cult). But you're right, the threat to expel is another lever for control.