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We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

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Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#141

Post by psychoslave »

sharikous wrote: post #119
mcv wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While reading it, I couldn't help but think: but what if this is the cult? I've got to admit I have no idea what the difference is between brainwashing and deprogramming.

Both things are programs that run in your head. The difference is how much the program makes you search inside yourself and ALONE for the answers you seek as opposite to reaching for an external authority. If you feel you are dependent on an external human the most likely event is that they or their group made you dependent on purpose via some sort of manipulation.

>If you feel you are dependent on an external human

Absolutely not, I’m a free trapper who built its own computer from scratch.

Joke apart, who is thinking really that interdependence is inherently bad? Things like symbiosis are generally connoted rather positively, aren’t there?

Now, being dependent on a group which is applying rigid rules which are systematically leading to toxic behaviors for all or part of its members, that is certainly a sound concern.

It seems to me that "independence" is a none issue: no man is an island[1]. It’s all about the way we steer our interdependence, with indefinitely many governance models we can try, but as soon a you put apart solipsism from deemed beliefs, none will honestly pretend that anyone can be absolutely independent.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devotions_upon_Emergent_Occasi...

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#142

Post by heresie-dabord »

mcv wrote: post #104
peepee1982 wrote: post #74

A lot of people here seem to be offended by this essay because of the literal definition of the term "cult" and start looking for potential cults they may be part of. I think they are mistaken. To me, this essay clearly speaks about the maladaptive conditioning we receive from our families and society in general during childhood and adolescence which causes us to suppress our feelings and authentic selves and treat t…

While reading it, I couldn't help but think: but what if this is the cult? I've got to admit I have no idea what the difference is between brainwashing and deprogramming.

If you are not even allowed to question the orthodoxy, you are inside something with cultish features.

It could be the dogmas of a society, it could be the rules of a social group... it could even be a technical group.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#143

Post by TrapLord_Rhodo »

gwd wrote: post #138
vincnetas wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure it's religion. You will experience unpleasant feelings here. Feelings your cult has told you are of the devil. Part of our program involves exposing you to the idea that there are very rarely easy answers in life. People suffer for no reason. You will suffer, and have suffered, for no reason. But people can also do great things for no reason, or rather unmotivated by some promise of godly exaltation o…

It sounds like the problem thinking they're trying to address here is the idea, "I'm suffering because I've done something bad and am being punished by God." But if they think this kind of thinking is directly linked to religion, then it's just ignorance and bigotry. Consider the folloing quote: "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions." The people I know who most…

>Christianity says that far from suffering always being a punishment from God for bad behavior.

Besides, you know... Hell, lakes of sulfur and eternal damnation.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#145

Post by archon1410 »

gwd wrote: post #138
vincnetas wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure it's religion. You will experience unpleasant feelings here. Feelings your cult has told you are of the devil. Part of our program involves exposing you to the idea that there are very rarely easy answers in life. People suffer for no reason. You will suffer, and have suffered, for no reason. But people can also do great things for no reason, or rather unmotivated by some promise of godly exaltation o…

It sounds like the problem thinking they're trying to address here is the idea, "I'm suffering because I've done something bad and am being punished by God." But if they think this kind of thinking is directly linked to religion, then it's just ignorance and bigotry. Consider the folloing quote: "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions." The people I know who most…

Look like you might be in a cult.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#147

Post by [deleted] »

macintux wrote: post #137
drewbug01 wrote: post #130

It’s an interesting piece, and I think it’s intended to be satirical (and done rather well). But, I grew up in an actual cult. The comments here to the effect of “everything’s a cult” and “startups are cults” and “HN is a cult” - oh gosh. Nothing could be further from the truth. HN is not a cult, folks. I’m glad people can make those jokes though, because I immediately know they didn’t experience what I did. They hav…

The world seems replete with similar falsehoods these days, to prevent us from caring about the real criminals. I'm glad you escaped, and thanks for sharing.

[deleted]

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#148

Post by tapland »

drewbug01 wrote: post #130

It’s an interesting piece, and I think it’s intended to be satirical (and done rather well). But, I grew up in an actual cult. The comments here to the effect of “everything’s a cult” and “startups are cults” and “HN is a cult” - oh gosh. Nothing could be further from the truth. HN is not a cult, folks. I’m glad people can make those jokes though, because I immediately know they didn’t experience what I did. They hav…

It's been very hard finding a psychologist in Scandinavia who even understands the concept.

And lately it's been getting really bad having to re-tell the reasons for the PTSD diagnosis to doctors who go "oh, well, a lot of people _say _they have PTSD"

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#149

Post by psychoslave »

gwd wrote: post #138
vincnetas wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure it's religion. You will experience unpleasant feelings here. Feelings your cult has told you are of the devil. Part of our program involves exposing you to the idea that there are very rarely easy answers in life. People suffer for no reason. You will suffer, and have suffered, for no reason. But people can also do great things for no reason, or rather unmotivated by some promise of godly exaltation o…

It sounds like the problem thinking they're trying to address here is the idea, "I'm suffering because I've done something bad and am being punished by God." But if they think this kind of thinking is directly linked to religion, then it's just ignorance and bigotry. Consider the folloing quote: "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions." The people I know who most…

> "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions."

> In other words, Christianity says that far from suffering always being a punishment

I fail to see how the first statement is supposed to imply that any suffering is necessarily a punishment for some reason. For example, consider a despot whose stupid decisions only have bad effects on its powerless flock. And even it can bring the collapse of its society in distant future in which the despot no longer exists. This gives a perfectly reasonable description of events without implying that the despot either suffered in any moment of its life.

Also there is a difference between believing in causality and certitude that an absolute rationalism is reachable by humans.

> I agree with the authors, that universe #2 (if true) is better than universe #1. But universe #3 -- the universe actually described by Christianity -- is even better.

Is there any religion out there that propose an univocal description universe among which all its faithful agree on? Divergence in Christianity interpretations was often presented as a justification for war between Christians themselves.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#150

Post by tomrod »

drewbug01 wrote: post #130

It’s an interesting piece, and I think it’s intended to be satirical (and done rather well). But, I grew up in an actual cult. The comments here to the effect of “everything’s a cult” and “startups are cults” and “HN is a cult” - oh gosh. Nothing could be further from the truth. HN is not a cult, folks. I’m glad people can make those jokes though, because I immediately know they didn’t experience what I did. They hav…

As a fellow cult survivor, I agree with your view.

Almost 10 years out, my spouse and I still make inside jokes for the insider speech and content. However, the exit process is one that seems exclusively designed to prevent dignity from being maintained.

Ed:

> They have never experienced the ongoing heartbreak of losing your entire world when you leave - your family, your friends, your job, your social life, your religion, your everything.

On the flip side, many years down the way, I love that I got to start over and define my own life rather than be forced to live the terms handed to me. It was damn hard, letting go. I would never assert otherwise. The path since has been an adventure, without question.

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