How To Spot A Cult - This is what started woke me up!!

This is the article that woke me up. I felt sick after reading it. Then sad. Then angry. Then all of those things. I'm still trying to adjust to a normal lifestyle and normal thinking.

Replace the words group/leader with "organization" and it's glaringly obvious we were all duped into a cult.

By Rick Ross, Expert Consultant and Intervention Specialist

Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

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

Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
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.
Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".
Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
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.
Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.
A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.

Ten signs of a safe group/leader.

A safe group/leader will answer your questions without becoming judgmental and punitive.
A safe group/leader will disclose information such as finances and often offer an independently audited financial statement regarding budget and expenses. Safe groups and leaders will tell you more than you want to know.
A safe group/leader is often democratic, sharing decision making and encouraging accountability and oversight.
A safe group/leader may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate and forbid others from associating with them.
A safe group/leader will not have a paper trail of overwhelmingly negative records, books, articles and statements about them.
A safe group/leader will encourage family communication, community interaction and existing friendships and not feel threatened.
A safe group/leader will recognize reasonable boundaries and limitations when dealing with others.
A safe group/leader will encourage critical thinking, individual autonomy and feelings of self-esteem.
A safe group/leader will admit failings and mistakes and accept constructive criticism and advice.
A safe group/leader will not be the only source of knowledge and learning excluding everyone else, but value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.

Witness My Fury

Good, thanks. Do you have a clickable link?

stuckinarut2

Fantastic summary.

But of course, the society is not a cult...their website says so....

OneEyedJoe

It's a good list, but I think it's missing one important thing - loaded language.

I don't remember where I read it (probably some reference to lifton's work) but when I was in my early teens I got a little tidbit about how cults use loaded language wherein words have different definitions for cultists than they do for society at large. I think that was a very large part of the foundation that my awakening was built on because I often had moments of clarity where I'd recognize that JWs used loaded language extensively. Especially when speakers would talk about why it's kingdom hall vs church or meetings vs mass. Once I recall a guy giving a talk went so far as to explain that we have to be mindful of how we sound when talking to worldly people because if we tell someone we were "out in the field" all day they'll think we're crazy, or if we say we were "in service" they'll think we were in the military, etc. I think he gave 5 or 6 examples and sitting there listening to all the loaded language rattled off and highlighted like that made me deeply uncomfortable. It was something that I never forgot and would often think back to when doubts would come up.