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Cultish
The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.
What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .
Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.
Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.
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Reviews
I love the way she explains her points! A great read that’s entertaining, especially for a non-fiction book.
By boogahsugah12
Interesting look at the use of language in cult like behavior. It not only discusses cults like Jim Jones, Heavens Gate, and the Branch Davidians. But also touches on other groups and movements that you wouldn’t consider to be cults like fitness crazes, social and political movements, gyms, conspiracy theories, diets, religious movements, charity groups. social clubs (even beneficial clubs like Alcoholics Anonymous) which all use Cultish language to hook people in. You’ll learn to recognize such language tricks after reading this book.
By Tim Jennings
I was enthralled by cultish from beginning to end, and didn’t expect to finish it feeling so lifted - 100% recommend.
By baller*loves*to*sing
Terrible.
By jimmy derby
I am so thankful to have stumbled across this book only a few weeks after realizing that the fundamentalist Christian group I’d left after 12 years was actually a destructive cult. At a time in my life when I couldn’t find the language to express what I’d been through and how I’d gotten sucked in, the author of this book gave me the words. I highly recommend this to anyone, defected cult members or otherwise.
By Anthony Eric Reese