Steve Hassan has recently published a new book: The Cult of Trump.
I try to keep politics off this blog, and so I request the comments NOT devolve into discussions about Trump, the Democrats, Hillary Clinton or anything else political. It would be unfair to Steve to NOT credit his book, so I have done so. But I would prefer to focus on the aspects of CULT rather than the aspects of Trump. For the record, I found the book both fascinating and enlightening in his analysis of mind control, cultic leaders and how they get people to follow them, regardless of its political implications.
Steve has taken the time to put together a simple chart to summarize cultic attributes and offer some helpful advice on how to deal with people in cults. This has broad application and so I want to make it available to all readers of this blog.
Please try to look at this from the broader perspective and don’t reject the concepts because of the title of the book. If you have been involved in scientology, the Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other mind controlling organization, you will certainly be able to identify with what Steve has summarized here.
This is a new website to me & I’m just jumping onto this blog platform without having read much of it. For quite awhile I’ve wanted to articulate a suspicion of mine. I heard of a more or less informal group of men who met (& maybe still do) weekly, and I’m suspicious of them for various reasons, but one thing that grabbed my attention was that I heard that they had a practice of going around in a circle TRYING to think of things about which to criticize each other. The purpose of this might seem justifiable — as many groups are so superficial that they wouldn’t dare ever say anything negative about others, like under any circumstances, and perhaps go too far to that extreme. So I presume that in their little criticism exercise they are trying to be different from this “norm.” A big HOWEVER, however — it seems to be becoming my opinion that this opposite extreme, of deliberately LOOKING for things “wrong” in others, is either cultish. I’ve come to believe that our lives on earth are very much about simply living the path on which we’ve been naturally “set,” and our business in life is about survival, compassion, and boundaries. We shouldn’t be doing our religion to be seen of others, and if we do that, our religion very quickly becomes outward, in lieu of the inward realities of it. But back to the original subject — criticism for criticism’s sake alone. Now I can’t say I’ve never done some of that before, such as if I felt a need to set a boundary with someone else, to draw a line marking out where the other person ends and I begin. Also, someone once told me that we all need to go through our individual “process” regarding very many things in life. My perspective is only one “dot” in the universe, because I am only one of the humans. We have to actively, and non-judgmentally, listen to the others in our where/when in order to get the perspective of another “dot” in the universe. If someone (another adult) disagrees with me, then do I want them to agree with me even though they don’t entirely “get it” (my opinion), but simply because they want to agree with me in order to “worship” or idolize me? As long as people get “boundaries”, does there not need to be room for people to autonomously use their minds and come to their own conclusions in life, based upon their own unique circumstances, perspectives, priorities and values? If someone disagrees with me, it could be just that they haven’t lived long enough to see enough situations requiring needs to evaluate and distinguish good ideas from practical realities, or the pitting of some ideal against one of the Ten Commandments, etc. I believe that it is a crack in civilization, when a society does not respect their elders who have lived so long and seen so much and gained so much experience and learned to value principles over personal vanities. Anyway sometimes others just need to be given time for their “process” of evaluating and finding out the truth for themselves to take place, or ripen or whatever analogy might be given there. If we got to know and respected our elders more, then maybe we wouldn’t spend so much of our time reinventing the wheel. Maybe we wouldn’t be 40 or 50 or 60 and (like I seem to be) wondering why our lifestyles still have so much to be desired. How can we be so old, and still not have the basics of life down? I apologize here because I have strayed from the initial subject, about methodically and systematically criticizing others just for the hell of it, whether or not anything stands out as wrong. Let me just say that to me, this sounds like a wrong extreme – a wrong extreme perhaps come about from the other extreme of people never daring to criticize others. I try to use the axiom of “What would Jesus do?” in evaluating these sorts of things in life. But basically, my instincts are telling me that this is very wrong (and cult-like?), to systematically and methodically criticize others for the sake of criticism alone. Yes, it might be the polar opposite of another potential evil — which would be to be afraid to ever criticize another. Also, if people have the time in their busy lives to sit around and criticize for the sake of criticism, then to me that is sort of suspect too, and makes me question whether their lives are too easy, to have time for things like that. But that is just my opinion. Thanks for being my sounding board on all of this.
One other thing – if I am to “help” someone else, or give them advice – is it not all I can do to just show them a map? And then after that, is it not up to them to figure out the “you are here” spot on the map? (Without which they might still be pretty totally confused).
i grew up LDS and hated it, eventually realized when I was 14 or so that if i simply refused to get dressed on Sunday mornings, my father would eventually have to just leave without me.
i have no love for the church, i don’t see them as doing any good in the world, and i disagree with the politics that the vats majority of the members of the church hold… but i also wouldn’t be able to honestly agree with any criticism that the church is a “mind-control cult” in the same way that Scientology or NXIVM etc are.
they suck, sure. the amount of involvement required is considerably more than what your average christian church requires these days. there is a lot to disagree with, but there is no charismatic leader. there is a living prophet somewhere sitting atop the pyramid, but i can’t say i ever knew more than maybe that person’s name, and maybe seen a picture of them.
i have read about some individual experiences in the church that push the boundaries, people who have had horrific experiences that could arise out of any situation where authorities are being abusive… but i don’t know.
again, there isn’t a bone in my body that gives the LDS even a little credit, i hated the church when i was involved in it and i think as an entity, the very little good they do is outweighed by the bad, which is mostly just a waste of time, and money, and effort that could be put towards actual pro-social endeavors.
that said, i really think it misses the mark to call them a mind-control cult, or even a cult of any kind. Orthodox Jews come closer to reaching that level because of how insular they are, and how much abuse is allowed to go on within their communities, but those aren’t cults or mind-control cults either.
absolutely, some of the early spin-offs that mostly split with the church when polygamy was banned are absolutely cults, they cut themselves off from the world and formed their own communities entirely functioning to service a single patriarch, or a handful of patriarchs… but the LDS proper, it is just such a stretch to put it in that category, it dimishes the definition of what a cult is, stretches it to encompass any religion that entails more than maybe going to church for an hour each Sunday, singing a few hymns, and dropping a fiver in the collection plate.
i mean, i am really trying to argue in good faith here, i think the LDS sucks, i think they COULD do a lot of good and choose not to, i think they demand a lot of money and time and squander it all… but any definition of “mind-control cults” that is so broad that it encompasses the LDS is incredibly overly broad. and i think it minimizes just how insidious groups like Scientology and NXIVM and, i don’t know, the Manson Family are, when you attempt to bundle those in with the LDS
It seems that all of society has turned cult-like these days.
One could argue the nemesis of the “Trump Cult” is the SJW/Virtue Signaling/Cancel Culture Cult (the ‘CCC’
for short)
Where it is not only mandatory to agree with them, if you do not agree or dare to question the wisdom of their ways, you are called names (a “-phobe” of any kind) labeled a bigot, publicly shamed and your livelihood is attacked.
On top of eliminating all dissenting thought/opinion, the CCC also seeks to ensure you are utterly destroyed ….. sound familiar?
What is SJW?
And what does Virtue Signaling mean? Not heard these terms before…
noun
noun: virtue signalling
the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.
“it’s noticeable how often virtue signaling consists of saying you hate things”
I see it as a promotion of how good you are while actually not having those traits.
“See how good I am, I hate racism” while actually the person harbors racist thoughts. It’s a smoke screen. Most likely unconscious, but I can see how expert manipulators can use it.
My Philosophy comes to mind. Hubbard was virtue signaling up the wazoo!
Thank you Brian for the excellent definition of virtue signaling!
Virtue signaling – aka, the humblebrag. “I don’t care if I never win another Pulitzer Prize – I will never debate (fill in the blank with whomever they afraid to debate) because they are a Nazi!”
(SJWs love to call people who disagree with them Nazis).
Most SJWs refuse to debate ideas. It’s their way or the highway.
SJW = Social Justice Warriors – aka, young men and women living in their parents basements who believe they know better than the rest of us so they must tell us how to live their lives. They are essentially bullies who attempt to govern by mob rule.
A SJW is one of those lovely people who love to point out how wrong the rest of the world is and, by contrast, how wonderful and “woke” they are (virtue signaling).
They are frequently seen on Good Morning Britain (clips available on YouTube) arguing with Piers Morgan and demanding he be fired for not agreeing with the idea there are 100 genders.
Even the use of the word ‘idea’ would get one in trouble with the SJWs. Their word is automatically FACT. And it is not to be debated or questioned, no matter how politely one attempts.
And that is just one small example
The inevitable end result of the SJW is they wind up eating their own. They insist on creating such ridiculous standards for the rest of society that eventually they succumb to their own idiocy and ridiculous standards of what is “right”. Standards which change every day, with the SJWs attempting to out-do each other in how “tolerant” they are. When the self evident truth is they are completely intolerant to anyone who differs with them.
ah yes, the anti-SJW ranting. cutting edge stuff from where i am sitting, in the year 2003.
Thank you for that excellent example of a humblebrag!
“I’m so 3008, you’re so 2008”
to quote a fun song (Black Eyed Peas ‘Boom Boom Pow’).
We can’t all be hep cats, up to the second on the newest and hippest.
I would, however, say the hatred and venom speeed by SJWs has increased since 2003.
In 2003, people still could agree to disagree without worrying about being arrested (as a woman was recently in the UK for “intentionally misgendering” someone on Twitter and well known Nazi and extreme right wing activist – (that’s sarcasm btw) JK Rowling who was recently bullied for supporting another woman who was fired from her job for stating an opinion.
Again, these are all small examples. But it is a frightening look into the future if the peeling away our freedoms (Freedom of Speech for starters) continue to be chipped away.
I once heard someone say “imagine the power of censorship in the hands of your worst enemy”
Imagine if Scientology had the power of censorship over the rest of the world.
Ridiculous? Will never happen?
Or has it already started and Scientology is just sitting back and letting other groups do the heavy work.
“You can’t call us out for our illegal behavior! We’re oppressed because of our belief system! Therefore you must believe what we believe and if you dare question it, we will destroy you!”
SJWs today
Scientology tomorrow.
Anyone with a large enough pocketbook can buy enough influence to make this happen
Antifa, the young anarchist group that bashes in windows at Berkeley causing police in riot gear to arrive because 1 conservative speaker is speaking at Berkeley.
Antifa means anti fascist yet they cause speakers to spend 100s of thousands on private protection.
SJW and virtue signaling at its most fascist, authoritarian and anarchistic.
We are in 1984.
Watch Denis Pragers “No Safe Spaces”.
Sorry Mike, it’s impossible to not mention politics with an nasty mean book title like that.
I’ve lost respect for him as a result of his title choice.
The title is pure politics.
“If you want to stay in for the long haul, and lead a life free from illusions, then I suggest you learn to recognize the symptoms of the zealot and the person who knows he is right. For the dissenter, the skeptical mentality is at least as important as any armor of principle.” – Christopher Hitchens
https://twitter.com/_mikewesten/status/1210189200001241090?s=20
Thanks for this article, Mike. I will definitely read Steve Hassan’s book with the intention of applying its data to ANY group or organization, be it religious or political or otherwise. Any group or organization which permits free speech only insofar as said free speech is favorable to said group or organization, and disallows criticism, or punishes it, or denies that any criticism could, would or should ever be possible, justified or viable, is, in my view, a cult. I do think some people are more “cult-prone” than others, and by that I mean some people have a greater need than others to believe in the existence of TOTAL good and/or TOTAL evil. I have cousins like this; THEIR brand of evangelical Christianity is the ONLY way to eternal spiritual salvation, the rest of us are doomed; L’Orange was sent by God and Jesus to be president; to not support him 100% is evil and proof that you are an enemy of America and not a Christian, and to take steps to have him removed is tantamount to the Crucifixion. Its very sad but all of the above are their firm beliefs, and they are far from being alone. As regards this current president and his extremely hard core believers I’m shockproof but Hassan’s book will be useful to vet other organizations and groups for possible “cult-hood”.
PS: Sorry for all the semi-colons but what else can you expect from a Whole Track Heretic and SP?
The list of those mind-controlling cults should also include vegans. There are a few very high profile vegans who are very controlling, authoritative people who operate in exactly the way described above. It is in a sense a religion where you are either a good person (a very strict vegan following a certain way of eating), or an evil person (one who is vegetarian, or omnivore). While, as with religion there are forgiving preachers, there are also vegans that are good people. But if you spend any time on YouTube watching vegan videos, it will soon become apparent that here are some people who have delusions of grandeur and self-importance on par with a certain religious leader often named on this website.
Hello Mike.
I read the first paragraph of today’s blog – the one that begins with, “I try to keep politics off this blog, and so I request the comments NOT devolve into discussions about …”
I hope you won’t mind if I ask you how long it took you to write this first paragraph.
I am asking for three reasons:
1) I was struck by the eloquence and “reasoned” nature of that paragraph.
2) I find that I often post something in haste to one of the secular message boards I use and then decide what I wrote was written too quickly and did not really represent what I wanted to say. If only I had taken more time to think about what I wanted to say, I my remarks would be closer to my true thoughts.
3) I often take a long time to compose my thoughts until I have them in a form that truly represents what I want to say. So, I’d like to ask how long it takes you to do something similar. For this paragraph – for example, were you able to just “dash it off”? Or did you have to spend some substantial time thinking about what you wanted to say before you had it organized and were ready to post?
I will certainly understand if you choose not to answer this question. After all, it is not exactly “on topic” for today’s blog. In fact, if you would prefer to not publish it at all, I will certainly understand and I would not object.
Just a minute or two.
“Keep a collaborative, rather than competitive, frame of mind”. Nor ‘combative’ as I first read. Very wise words. It is too easy to go on the attack when someone you know in a high-control group says or posts something obviously (to us outside their sphere) false or stupid.
Collaborative. I’ll do my best.
Some people here already know that I have written over four hundred posts on Scientology at Mockingbird’s Nest blog on Scientology and have been reading and writing about cults pretty steadily for five years.
A lot of important points can be made about cults and Jon Atack has covered many in his articles, books and YouTube videos.
The fact that if you are following a political leader or group and can try an exercise is relevant. He described taking a piece of paper, putting a line down the middle from the top to the bottom and on one side listing pros of the person or group and on the other putting cons. Jon pointed out that if you have no cons (and actually know about something) then it is a huge red flag.
The idea would certainly have been true for me most of the time that I was in Scientology. I saw no flaws in Hubbards character, his doctrine or his practices.
I have some politicians I am interested in voting for, but honestly see deep flaws in all of them, and I don’t mean little ones. I vote from the concept of harm reduction. If one candidate is likely to build ten concentration camps and another is likely to build nine I am likely to vote for the one who is building nine because the people in the tenth camp matter.
A lot of Americans who vote, vote on that basis. A lot of us didn’t want Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump but picked the one we thought was less terrible but definitely still terrible.
I could list a couple dozen bad things that both support or at least will not effectively oppose but that isn’t a good enough reason for me to not vote, because the people in the tenth concentration camp matter.
I have written several articles on the cult of Trump long before the book came out.
Here is one.
The Cult of Trump part 1 What’s a Cult, Really ?
I have been writing about cults for over two years online about the Scientology cult as a former member. I was in Scientology for twenty five years and through a long process ended up questioning the group and its founder Ron Hubbard and looked outside the group to several critical sites for several months and then undertook a serious effort to dissect the Scientology cult and understand cults and influence in general.
It involved hundreds and hundreds of hours of study of hypnosis, influence, social psychology, rhetoric, abusive relationships, totalitarian governments, critical thinking, logical fallacies, propaganda analysis, cognitive dissonance theory and many related subjects.
I undertook the task of reading books, watching videos, writing to experts for advice and recommendations on books and interacting with ex Scientologists and critics to get information on cults and to offer my own opinions.
I ended up writing several hundred online posts regarding cults and now it’s probably over a thousand comments in total.
I think I have something to offer regarding the subject and now with Donald Trump having won the presidential election it’s relevant to the subject of his followers and Donald Trump as a leader and man.
The question of what kind of man he is, how he treats people and what kinds of relationships he has with his followers is important for understanding his actions and likely future choices.
But to many people the term cult is ambiguous or strange. So, first things first – what’s a cult ?
I use the term to mean a specific kind of group. A specific kind of destructive group.
To answer the question what is a cult I will quote an article by cult expert Rick Alan Ross from the Guardian.
THE QUESTION: WHAT MAKES A CULT?
Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, who once taught at Harvard Medical School, wrote a paper titled Cult Formation in the early 1980s. He delineated three primary characteristics, which are the most common features shared by destructive cults.
1. A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power. That is a living leader, who has no meaningful accountability and becomes the single most defining element of the group and its source of power and authority.
2. A process [of indoctrination or education is in use that can be seen as] coercive persuasion or thought reform [commonly called “brainwashing”].
The culmination of this process can be seen by members of the group often doing things that are not in their own best interest, but consistently in the best interest of the group and its leader.
Lifton’s seminal book Thought Reform and Psychology of Totalism explains this process in considerable detail.
3. Economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.
The destructiveness of groups called cults varies by degree, from labour violations, child abuse, medical neglect to, in some extreme and isolated situations, calls for violence or mass suicide.
Some groups that were once seen as “cults” have historically evolved to become generally regarded as religions. Power devolved from a single leader to a broader church government and such groups ceased to be seen as simply personality-driven and defined by a single individual. For example the Seventh-day Adventists, once led by Ellen White, or the Mormons church founded by Joseph Smith.
Some groups may not fit the definition of a cult, but may pose potential risks for participants. Here are 10 warning signs of a potentially unsafe group or leader.
• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
• There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.
• Followers feel they can never be “good enough”.
•The The group/leader is always right.
• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
End quote Rick Alan Ross
Now that’s a good start to describe a cult, what some people are more specific about and call a destructive cult. I only write about destructive cults usually like Scientology, Aum Shinrikyo , the Unification Church aka the Moonies and others and just use the term cult.
The group Donald Trump leads warrants examination to see if it’s a cult.
So to define a cult as having the three key qualities of a charismatic leader who has no meaningful accountability and is an object of worship then second a process of thought reform (I will break that down in fine detail and analysis against Donald Trump’s actions and group in another post) and third and finally exploitation of group members by the leader or a small group is a simple enough start.
It’s a group with the charismatic leader, thought reform program and exploitation of members by leader and/or a small group.
Now, with fine details on thought reform and a detailed comparison to Donald Trump’s supporters it should be clear if his group is a cult.
Just to save room I left thought reform for another post, as it’s worth a post or two on its own. I hope to present several short simple posts that outline several things.
What a thought reform program is.
If Trump’s group has one.
What cult leaders do that other people don’t.
What qualities Donald Trump has and compare them to cult leaders.
The patterns of behavior cult leaders have historically had in common and the likelihood Donald Trump can follow similar behavior patterns himself.
I know many people have different questions and doubts about the future we will have with Donald Trump as our president. I will offer my opinion on his known and likely qualities. I will try to lay out evidence to support my claims and show the supporting evidence cult experts and academics provide along with references to examine to find out more about cults.
I will try to keep the posts short, clear and easy to understand if you have never been in a cult or studied them before in this series. I hope it helps people and they take in and consider the whole series.
I hope this post briefly introduces me, introduces the question of whether Donald Trump’s group is a cult or not and laid out a very brief description of a cult too.
It’s just scratching the surface and there’s a lot beneath that to look at.
From. http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2019/04/blog-archive.html
I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope all your holidays are filled with peace, joy and love.
I consider myself an anti-trump Republican but I still see the value in looking at cultist ways of thinking.
And especially how those who are not leading actual cults learn from them and employ their tactics.
It’s important that people who are not in a cult and not a victim of actual mind control still be able to recognize when they are being manipulated and to help stop others from being manipulated.
Thank you Mike
That’s a great infographic – thanks for that. Hassan’s insights into how to actually most effectively engage people involved in such groups, are particularly important.
Does anyone know if this is available somewhere on Hassan’s website? I could only find a slightly different version specific to politics.
And as far as politics, if I recall correction, Cynthia Kisser, former director of the Cult Awareness Network that Scientology attacked and successfully took over, once observed back in the 90s that political parties are like cults. The idea that at least at certain levels of involvement and dedication, political groups can rate fairly high on scales of the characteristics of cults, is not necessarily new or radical.
I am a never in regarding Scientology. I really enjoy this blog and read it all the time. I also follow Tony’s blog and Chris Shelton’s stuff on you tube. Scientology is a very fascinating subject. I became interested in Scientology after watching Going Clear and every episode of the Aftermath show on A&E. Personally, I prefer that you, Tony Ortega, Chris Shelton and Steve Hassan would keep your political stuff off of these blogs. Stick to religious cults please. You all think you have not been influenced. Undue influence and false information has effected all of you. It is scary that you don’t think it has after being in Scientology and having the depth of understanding you have regarding mind control and cults. I hope you post this but won’t be surprised if you don’t. That is what people who hate Trump do. They stop others from communicating and they attack.
An awful lot of assumptions here simply because the word Trump appeared in a post…
I recommend you take a deep breath and don’t automatically assume you are being attacked.
Amen Mike. Feelings of being attacked are something in themselves to be looked at critically. I think the chart above is very useful and keeps it a bit simplified.
My apologies, you did use it in your post.
Good blog. The quick view cult description is useful. I’m surprised that people are taking offense.
Mike – I hope you post this.
You responded
“An awful lot of assumptions here simply because Trump appeared in a post”
Here is a post from you from Jan 2017 on Tony Ortega’s blog.
Why don’t you just own it. Oh and by the way, how did that Russian Collusion thing work out for you. After all, others said he did it.
YOU POSTED:
Still trying to figure out what Skip Press finds “dumb” about my statement?
That Republicans are generally helpful to scientology?
Read the Hernandez Supreme Court decision DENYING tax deduction to scientology “donations” – opinion by Justice Marshall (extreme liberal), DISSENT by Sandra Day O’Connor and Antonin Scalia (Republicans). The IRS capitulated to scientology while Bush was President with the IRS under his appointee Fred Goldberg (by the time the final decision was rendered Clinton had taken office and there was a new IRS Commissioner, but the deed was done long before that).
That Trump is unpredictable?
Isn’t that why people voted for him? Trump himself claims this as a virtue…
That he seems wholly uninfluenced by anything other than money and his ego.
I guess this is crux of Skip’s beef.
Surely he is not arguing that Trump has no ego? Or that it doesn’t dictate his actions? Just look at his Twitter account. Rarely has there been a public figure so vain. And again, Mr. Trump takes great pride in the fact that he makes his own decisions and is not beholden to anyone.
So, by process of elimination, it HAS to be that he is influenced by money.
Skip, have you ever read “The Art of the Deal”? Money drives Donald Trump. He has repeatedly announced that he is a billionaire. That he is “more successful than …. (insert name here)” and poses in front of gilded walls and furniture etc. Why would anyone try to dispute this – especially when I noted this may well be the one thing that might motivate him to act against scientology.
I suppose it is as simple as this: I do not assume Donald Trump will go after scientology. And explained why I felt that way. Skip Press takes this as slight against Trump and therefore, I am “dumb.”
Here is a suggestion for you Skip. Why don’t you spend time responding to real insults? Compared to what others say about Trump’s lying, misogyny, homophobia, Russian connections etc etc this was not even a blip on the radar. In fact, it was not even intended to be insulting. You chose to read it that way. It was simply a statement of opinion. I would also impugn every President of the past 50 years for their failures on this subject.
And HAS Trump gone after scientology???
Is there anything in this comment that has been proven untrue?
You are really working at it — digging up a comment from another blog in 2017?
You need to be a little less sensitive.
Why don’t you pull out my comments worrying about Trump claiming the press is the enemy of the people? Certainly pro-press — so therefore, by definition, “anti-Trump.” And I am opposed to the concept that the press is the enemy of the people. Without the media, scientology would be completely unchecked.
Keep working at it, I am sure you will come up with something that proves what a terrible person I am.
It’s the OSA (Hubbard) way.
I read The Cult of Trump and anyone focusing on Steve Hassan instead of his claims and evidence is committed genetic fallacy, looking at the genesis or source of claims rather than addressing claims. Logical fallacies are recognized in debate but are really part of human psychology.
I have written about how we resort to them and think we are being rational when we are not. People routinely accept the ideas of people they agree with as good evidence from qualified experts and reject ideas from people they disagree with as bad ideas from unqualified people. It’s a poor way to reason and it is how Scientologists stay Scientologists. “Hubbard and everyone who agrees is sensible and right and everyone who disagrees is a low toned, uninformed degraded being. ” See ?
As Jon Atack has pointed out in On Liberty John Stuart Mill described the fact that you must know the best arguments and evidence for every side of an issue to understand it and have any chance they form an educated opinion.
Most Scientologists know very little of Scientology criticism and the mountains of evidence of pathological lying by Hubbard and his efforts to use psychology, hypnosis and to covertly make slaves of men. If they did see the evidence and arguments against Hubbard probably most people would never join Scientology.
Similarly if you want to actually understand the claims of Steven Hassan you should examine them.
Steve Hassan is an excellent researcher and has a keen insight into ‘cults’. It would be a much better world if everyone could recognize cultic behavior and act upon that realization.
I so appreciate Hassan’s consistent message of respect in interacting with someone trapped in a cult. His work has a power because of that, and he is rare in today’s culture, where respect is lacking across the board. He took his experience in a dangerous cult and has brought untold good from it. And now, Leah and Mike do the same. Amazing efforts!!
Steve Hassan was never a Scientologist. He can theorize, and pontificate all he wants to, but in the end,he has no idea the real reason people such as my self and others became Scientologist.
Over 60 million people voted for President Trump, so we are supposed to believe that somehow Mr Trump brainwashed us into voting for him?
Today there are only about 25,000 Scientologist worldwide, but again over 60 million people voted for Trump.
North Korea, Communist China , and Scientology all use propaganda to brainwash their followers. The media also uses propaganda to brainwash people like Hassan to hate Trump.
People such as Chris Shelton , Steve Hassan and Tony Ortega speak out against Scientology ( which is fine with me) and once they have a following they use that platform to segway into their anti – Trump campaign. One has nothing to do with the other.
In my opinion, as soon as these people compare Scientology to President Trump. They lose all credibility with me. One has nothing to do with the other. Lets stick to discussing the lies and crimes of Scientology , L Ron Hubbard and David Miscavaige.
Steve Hassan was a Moonie. He has made it his life’s work to study and write about cults and is a recognized expert and scholar on the subject. You are entitled to your opinion like everyone else. And no, nobody is asking you to believe anything — especially not that 60 million people were brainwashed into voting for Donald Trump. Maybe you should read the book rather than jumping to erroneous conclusions about what it says without having read it?
The attributes and suggested methods for dealing with those caught in any mind control organization was the point. I felt obligated to mention the title of his book as I was quoting him. Otherwise I would have made no mention of Trump because any mention of him devolves into very tired arguments…
It’s the title of the book MIke. It’s probably the reason you did not include it in your post. The title, in my opinion, gets in the way of the content.
It’s like writing a book called: The Cult of Jesus – how Christ ruined my life.
And then telling Christians please get past the title and see all the good info in it. Lol!
I think he’d have a broader audience if he changed the title. It’s insulting to those who support him.
BTW, I did not vote for him. I know wonderful sweet people who did though. The title is insulting to millions.
Yes, I agree. The title of the book is insulting to Trump supporters.
He should titled it “The Cults of Trump and AOC”. Broader audience and the advice goes both ways. 😇
There are religious cults, political cults, sports team cults, entertainment cults, celebrity cults, and so on. Most are harmless. The ones of which I’m always wary are those driven by some organized body of ideology. It doesn’t matter what the ideology is. If you have to consult your philosophy before you can make an observation, opinion, evaluation, or decision, you can miss the immediate situation in front of you. Reality doesn’t always conform to ideological precepts.
I’m also wary of those who declare “mind control.” as if it’s always the other guy that’s covertly hoodwinking the public. Experts and authorities can get hoodwinked too.
Do some degree, my wife and I have dethroned the idea of the expert. I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble granting expert status to people.
Highlight a book called The Cult of Trump and request no discussion of politics? You gotta be kidding. Lol
An alternative book might be The Cult of Media Mind Control.
Anyhow, keeping things light, if Trump gets re-elected and the Dems continue to control the House he might gain the distinction of being the first president to get impeached more than once!
Yes, it was risky.
Thanks for keeping it civil and light.
OT – Pac Base last Saturday evening. Less than a handful of geriatric culties seen. More SO security than public cult members.
With FLOG also empty this means that the Cult of Scamology is only making money from whales giving $ for status.
Wynski, those casual observations conflict with the report that about 6,000 scientologists showed up to nearly fill the Shrine Auditorium for the New Year’s event* – which would be several hundred members representing each of the dozen or so Southern California orgs, figuring that they also got about 1,500 Sea Org members from bases in the area to turn out.
We also see pictures here of events at local orgs with dozens of people in attendance, more at Valley, and then L. Ron Hubbard way adjacent to Pac Base sometimes filled with attendees for special events.
What is your explanation for the discrepancy? I don’t doubt that Scientology is struggling and that the videos are some sort of evidence for that, but clearly we’re not getting the full picture.
* https://tonyortega.org/2019/12/16/scientology-celebrated-new-years-eve-on-saturday-and-once-again-we-had-someone-there/
There is no discrepancy. I showed orgs empty of scamologists taking courses and auditing and how that means only non-service income is keeping the cult afloat. That is de facto.
You talk about people congregating at free events. I made no claims about people taking part in free events.
You just need to work on your use of formal logic. I suggest taking college level courses at your nearest community college.
Wynski, I’d hardly call topical report on the cult’s implosion O/T.
thanks jere
Steve Hassan highlights the fact that organizations exerting undue influence, aka cults, exist all around us. Political. Municipal. Sports. Corporate. Yes, religious groups. I’m a former cult member. I used to be Mormon.
I own and have read Steve’s two earlier major works. I highly recommend Steve’s works and his website.
And Mike, you and Leah absolutely rock!!
Interesting to note that he has the Mormons as an example of a cult. I am not a Mormon , but from what I have studied about them, I know of no fundamental difference between the modern LDS church and Catholics, Baptists, Orthodox Judaism, Islam, etc.
Hi Joe,
I used to think about Mormons the same way that you do, My daughter befriended a Mormon trying to leave her Church during their college days. The experience changed my mind. I am a former Catholic. When I left, there was no pressure. This young lady was in a turmoil for over three years. She went to websites and tried to form her own opinions. She told us about the pressure from her parents and friends. In the end, she had to take a job in a Mormon company. She still is trying to get out. Many Christians also consider Mormons to be in a cult.
Yes, George, I think there is a qualitative difference between the LDS church and Catholicism at this point in history (Or protestant churches like the Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc) and I shouldn’t have mentioned them. Steven Anderson’s Baptist church in Arizona would have been a better example, or other hardline fundamentalist Christian churches. Though I would still say that Islam and the small Orthodox Hassidic communities (Amish?) also act as cults per Hassan’s criteria (in the respect of tremendous penalties to those members who don’t toe the line).
Great recommendation, thanks!
Newly departed cult(any cult!) members, read this book! And as many others like it as you can, as education is a key component of cult deprogramming and of a reclamation of one’s dignity and identity.
Thanks for this blog/forum, Mike.
Happy holidays to all❤🤗
Thank you Mike. I have read other books of Steven Hassan, and this invaluable knowledge to spot, understand and handle cults should be shared and used. I will get his new book.
The characteristics of a cult leader fit perfectly to david miscavige, and of course others.
What is also interesting is the two valued logic: good/bad, friend/enemy, etc. I think this limits the mind and closes it, thus creating a bubble where followers are blind and really can’t think for themselves.
I think mind control is something that is not discussed enough and is absolutely essential to understanding Scientology. I read Steve’s book Combating Cult Mind Control. When I started, I thought no way was I in a cult. As I looked at aspects of cults I came to realize that Scientology uses pretty much every single one. The names might be different ie shunning is called disconnection in Scientology – confession is OW writeups etc. Eye opening read for anyone who was involved in Scientology. Looking forward to checking out Mr Hassan’s Cult of Trump as I already recognize many similarities.
Looks like a good book, Mike. Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out.
Reading the points reminds me of my new friend Larry who is a Fundamentalist Christian Baptist. Larry firmly believes in the “Book of Revelation”. He also believes that heaven is 5,000 miles wide and will someday descend from the sky and land on Earth. From that time on, Christians will be alive eternally and bad people will be sent to hell. He has a very strange way of making his point. He says “This is what will happen but I do not know how it will happen.”. Larry will not listen to any form of alternative scientific explanation of the universe. He has saved a lot of money and lives a very simple retired life. Almost impossible to move him on any subject – climate change whatever. Total Trump supporter with 100% loyalty.
Great! Thanks, Mike.
All of this is helpful.