Who Is A Cult Leader?
When we think of cult leaders, we think of infamous predators like Jim Jones, the charismatic preacher who led his followers into mass suicide, or Charles Manson, the psychopathic leader of the Manson Family who passed himself off as the second coming of Jesus Christ. Yet cults can be far less visibly nefarious and blatantly violating – and they can exist across diverse contexts – not just doomsday and religious cults. Narcissistic cults can exist within the nuclear family, the harem of a narcissistic partner where “followers” are taught to compete for the attention of the cult leader, friendship groups or social circles, academic circles, sex cults (such as the New York-based NXIVM cult which encouraged sexual abuse and horrific bodily “branding”) toxic workplaces, the bubbles of political groups, the aggressive “fandoms” dedicated to celebrities who act as attack dogs for the celebrity they worship or even the “one-man” cult of an emotionally abusive romantic relationship.
What Are the Characteristics of Cults?
Control of Information and misinformation to discourage critical thinking.
A cult must exist in an information bubble or otherwise it risks the unimaginable “horrors” of critical thinking. This means that propaganda, misinformation, and weaponization of personal agendas often substitute for facts. The truth is often hidden from view and distorted unless information is leaked into the cult and is able to penetrate the group. There is an encouragement of toxic belief systems and rigid rules to keep cult leaders in power. Cult members are encouraged to isolate themselves or are actively isolated from listening to information that could challenge their unethical beliefs and practices.
Scapegoating of individuals who inspire envy or revolution, challenge the abuse of authority by cult leader or status quo.
A cult is only as strong as the support the leader can maintain from its members. When members of the cult resist or challenge the cult leader’s tactics or expose the abuse, they are often scapegoated from the cult to ensure that disloyalty cannot reign. Members who have too much empathy, integrity, or a skill set that outshines the cult often become targets when the cult leader realizes they could be a potential threat to the unethical actions the cult is participating in. That is why narcissistic, psychopathic, or people-pleasing and obedient cult members are often preferred, or members who are unaware of the corruption of the cult or its leaders. Public displays of trying to demean scapegoats in the cult are used to discourage rebellion. Unfortunately for cults, scapegoats and whistleblowers often become the most powerful people and the most “dangerous” threat to the cult.
“Scapegoats are chosen and targeted by narcissists not because they are the weakest but rather because they are often the most powerful person in the room, with the ability to see through toxicity and challenge the dysfunctional dynamics of a group whether it is family, friendship circles, the workplace or the one-man cult of a romantic relationship with a narcissist. That is why people work so hard to silence and persecute them. Remember this any time you see someone targeted in a group.” — Shahida Arabi
Love bombing new cult members or old cult members and cycles of devaluation can vary to pit people against each other. There is punishment and excessive retaliation for breaking the cult’s perceived “rules.”
A cult has to convince its members that membership is well worth the egregious sacrifices. To do so, they groom and love bomb new members with false promises, extravagant gifts, status, prestige, and a showering of praise. This sets them up to potentially defend the cult reflexively even when corruption arises and to cling onto the false hope that the cult’s illusory image may still hold value, and to feel indebted to their cult leader even after abuse has taken place. However, members may still experience an awakening when they realize they are being deceived or used to attack others or serve the cult leader’s agenda. If enough promises are not carried out or the individual consequences of such actions seem too dire, some cult members may choose to leave the group or practice their autonomy in more discreet ways.
Desensitization to oppression, shock tactics, corruption and unethical or illegal acts carried out by cult.
To retain membership in a cult, one gradually becomes desensitized to cruelty, shock tactics, corruption, as well as unethical and illegal acts happening within the cult or carried out even outside of it. This is to encourage enablers and bystanders to essentially “look the other way” while the cult carries out oppression of their own members or outside groups.
Erasure of Autonomy and Identity.
The cult does not allow people to question their questionable actions nor does it allow for individual identity and autonomy. At first, one’s individual identity may be praised and uplifted during the love bombing process. But then, it becomes eroded as commitments and sacrifices to the cult heighten. Agency is discouraged and cult members are devalued if they try to practice agency to speak up for themselves or others, stand against unjust practices, or resist exploitation and abuse.
Creating External Enemies to Foster Isolation in the cult and an “Us versus Them” mentality.
Cults punish perceived outsiders and depict them as dangerous and unsafe. They do this to prevent communication and behavior that could create unity among people and validation of shared experiences. When whistleblowers gather together to confront the cult, that is when change can potentially begin - both within the cult and for the victims outside of it.