Warning Signs of a Cult/Cult Leader...It's frightening how well Trump and his campaign fits this

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

There is absolutely no question in my mind that Trump is not running for president. He's forming the Cult of Trump.

https://culteducation.com/warningsigns.html

Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
9. The group/leader is always right.
10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.

1. Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
3. Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".
4. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
5. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
6. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.
7. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
8. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
9. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
10. Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.

[pscot]

1. k&r

[Fast Walker 52]

2. that fits scarily well

[NurseJackie]

3. Well.. that's describing either Trump or Scientology.

[mopinko]

4. good old authoritarianism.

i dont think that authoritarianism=cult, tho the worst do rise to that.
authoritarianism is a pox on democracy. and that is all there is behind the drumph phenomena. 30% is about the number of people that tend that way, and they are all in for the trumpet.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

5. These lists are sort of like diagnostic criteria for an illness...

Just one on the list would be an awful trait to have...but having many of them in conjunction with a public stage to reach the masses and you end up with the potential for the rise of a massive and dangerous cult. This is why many have compared Trump to Hitler. Nazi-ism was a murderous cult.

[mopinko]

7. i guess it is a hard thing to delineate.

where is the dividing line between a cult and a political movement?
plenty here called obama supporters cult followers.
to me, a cult is a small thing. a thousand people at most (probably jim jones set the record). most are much smaller.

i dont think drumph has the power to literally get his voters to drink the koolaid, tho some would.

same kind of thinking, fersher. just a distinction in scope.

or maybe the dividing line is between who would kill themselves and who would kill others.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

8. If you open the link in the original post there is a list for good/safe leaders too

I think the difference between a political movement and a mass cult rests in the leader. If the focus is on the leader him/herself and/or fueled by hatred of others then it's not really motivated by politics and there is no desire for real conversation. The motivation is gaining power and control out of fear and hatred. It's easy to see with Trump's campaign because everytime they are asked a question they veer towards immigration and national security. The real goal is to try to keep non-white people out of "their" country and try to chase out as many "illegals" as they can. Trump isn't leading a religious cult...it's a racist cult.

[flygal]

6. He reminds me so much of the whole Amway cult

look up some accounts of people who left, they are losers....lazy.....in-Christian...