I think the moment that someone starts to leave a cult is often when they first feel betrayed by its leader

It runs against natural instinct to value that. Instinct for any body or group is to protect itself. This may be too obscure, but I have a mental image of how the blood reacted in The Thing movie - living things protect themselves.

I'm not seeing evidence of this personally (I feel like I'm seeing folks double down) but I hope you are right!

It's a freedom that has cost you something

One thing I keep wondering is if the next few years will leave an archeological layer in the arts, if that makes sense

It's overwhelming

I do solemnly promise to faithfully support everyone whom it personally benefits me to do so for as long as it shall personally benefit me to do so...

I expect the "deke the goalie" tactic will be a common pattern over the next few years—bold claims, dramatic announcements, and shocking threats designed to dominate the conversation, provoke reactions, and then pivot swiftly to keep opponents off balance and control the narrative. 4/4

Opponents scramble to respond, investing time and energy, only for the leader to pivot or move on, leaving them looking overreactive or out of step. It’s a clever way to maintain control and keep others on the defensive. 3/4

This same trick gets used in leadership and politics. Think about a leader or politician who makes some huge claim or wild threat—something so big it forces everyone to react. 2/4

Have you ever heard of "dekeing the goalie" in hockey? It’s when a player fakes out the goalie by pretending to shoot in one direction, making the goalie commit to blocking that side, then quickly pivots and scores on the other side. It’s all about creating a no-win situation for the goalie.

🧵 1/4

It may be a good time to recall that almost 100 yrs ago wealthy businessmen hatched a scheme to weaken progressive Christianity because the social gospel wasn’t conducive to corporate profits. They poured $$$ into Chr orgs that preached a different tune: the gospel of free market capitalism.

Leave fruit out in summer, and fruit flies show up. Create an abuser-friendly environment, and abusers show up. No crystal ball needed: painful stories will follow. The question isn’t *if*—it’s *when* the next four years' secrets start spilling out.

Our first time in a cult, we were idealists. This time, our eyes are open and we are here against our will.

Sadly, being a weather forecaster and seeing an incoming storm doesn't give you the power to stop the storm...

The “nine-word problem” of civil rights discourse 🇺🇸 It’s MLK Jr. Day and Inauguration Day today here in the U.S. — so we’re off today, but we have a brief issue for you while we’re out…

blog.medium.com/the-nine-wor...

Seems very Bibly

I learned a new word!

As an American, I apologize to the world (Denmark, Canada, Greenland, Panama, Mexico, etc.) for our unhinged president. I am so sorry.

I thought you were joking and I didn't think it was funny, argh

Woman Asks John Piper’s Advice on Dealing With Man Who Says God Wants Her To Marry Him During a recent episode of "Ask Pastor John,” author and Bible teacher John Piper addressed a young woman’s dilemma about a persistent suitor at her church.

It’s time for J. Piper to stop doling out “advice”.

“My immediate concern is that she is dealing with a man who appears, at best, to be spiritually manipulative and, at worst, irrational and potentially dangerous. Piper’s response seems to overlook these serious dynamics entirely…”~Boz Tchividjian

APA Dictionary of Psychology A trusted reference in the field of psychology, offering more than 25,000 clear and authoritative entries.

I think the availability heuristic shows up here. I've never seen them do x, but I have seen them do y, thus y is the thing that is easily available to my gut reactions. dictionary.apa.org/availability...

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_seq... 😃

🎯

Here’s a hard truth former cult members know:
Cult leaders see your hunger, promise to fix it for a steep price, deliver nothing, and then blame you for being hungry.

It is an arduous and meaningful journey to reclaim one's voice and standing

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/...

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The one receiving the respect is also the one judging it insufficient. At a church meeting, I literally heard one of the leaders (female) ask a lady, "but did he feel respected enough, though?" And the answer to that is, no, it's not humanely possibly to respect "enough."

What I hear is a black hole and a losing proposition where those who are on the giving end are doomed to fail. A problem that I think exists with the one-sided expectation of respect is that you can't measure it; you can't quantify how much has been given versus how much is required.