Follow the leader. Or else.

If someone has gone deep into a cult, they’re probably lost forever.

They’ve been taught never to doubt the leader. They cannot question him. To do is to commit a cardinal sin. The leader is never wrong. If someone points out an error, that person is attacking him and must be resisted.

The followers are taught to listen to no one but the leader. Any other source is dangerous.

They’re taught to reject any evidence against the cult. It doesn’t matter if the evidence is clear and indisputable. If it appears incontrovertible, it is fake.

If the leader contradicts himself, the follower must ignore it. If he can’t ignore it, then the contradiction is the leader’s brilliant tactic against his enemies. The follower must applaud it.

Anyone who opposes the leader is more than an enemy. They’re so evil they’re not human. And if they’re not human, there is nothing wrong with harming or even killing them.

Laws do not apply to the leader. He is above them. But, those outside the cult must follow the law as the leader defines it. They must adhere to the rules that he is above.

If someone has given their mind to such a cult, it is almost always impossible to reach them. These kinds of cults are usually religious, but they can be political as well.

Sometimes, cults collapse. The leader dies, and the group has no cohesion without him. The group commits mass suicide. Members carry out a terrorist attack and wind up dead or in prison. The law catches up with them.

The collapse often takes innocent victims with it. That’s what makes them so dangerous.

The time to reach someone and save them from a cult is before they dive too deep. But once they swim to the deep side of the pool, chances are they’re going to drown.