Cultish by Amanda Montell

 

In this book, author Amanda Montell, who holds a degree in linguistics, discusses cults and how one of their major tools in attracting and retaining members is language.  At the beginning, individuals are 'love-bombed' and told that they can reach their highest potential.  Promises and information is kept vague.  Later, those who have joined are given a language specific to those surrounding them, drawing them in deeper and giving them a feeling of community.  That feeling of community is used to guilt trip anyone who wants to leave and many finally wake up to find years have passed.

Montell starts by using examples of what everyone calls cults, people like Jim Jones and the leader of Heaven's Gate, both of whom led their followers into suicide.  She talks about how deception is a key component of these cults and gives examples of various dangerous and life threatening cults.

But then Montell goes on to describe other areas which are 'cultish' and that use many of the same techniques and language that their more dangerous cousins do.  Multilevel marketing like Amway, cosmetic and clothing lines are discussed.  This is interesting because most of the individuals caught up in these areas rarely think of themselves as belonging to cults.  Another area, the newest one created by our Covid isolation and our focus on health, are exercise groups like Crossfit and Peleton.  These groups have cultish language, create groups that soon are the individuals social outlet and which disappear immediately when the individual leaves the group.

Montell has written several books about linguistic subjects and has a popular podcast about cults.  She wrote Wordslut: A Feminist Guide To Taking Back The Language in which she encourages women not to allow others to define them by the words they might be called.  Her degree is in linguistics from NYU.  This book and its concepts are in development for a television series and is recommended for nonfiction readers interested in how language can be used for negative purposes.