The Art of Making Sh!t Up

Chapter 11The Cult Factor

In general, people follow passion and energy, not ideas. Don't believe me? Then just take a look at cults. Cults are populated by devoted followers who enthusiastically and staunchly believe in and defend the theories and principles that the cult preaches. They are typically led by a single charismatic leader who, through seemingly sheer animal magnetism, entrances a community of followers to such a degree that the leader's words and beliefs are accepted as gospel.

Now, here is the thing. More often than not those ideas are batshit crazy. From believing aliens are going to come down and take them away on a certain date, or that by the force of group thought people can make themselves invisible, to far more dangerous and sinister ideas, the concepts that cults often follow seem absolutely ludicrous to someone from the outside looking in. So why do perfectly reasonable and intelligent people end up falling under the spell of these shamans?

It ain't the Kool‐Aid. It is the fact that humans respond to and follow energy and passion. Humans are drawn to other humans who create energy and stimulate emotions. We are tribal creatures and are genetically programmed to come together in groups for protection. Most other animals were faster and stronger and thicker‐skinned than our ancient selves, so that meant that they could kill us far more easily than we could kill them.

The only thing we had going for us was our abnormally big brain and our ability to procreate ...