I can't recall the word that describes a group that keeps to itself like the Witnesses do. I thought it was "insular" but I don't think that's the one I'm looking for after reading the definition. I remember an elder using the word "clannish" and that has the proper definition but it reminds me of a group of elves. What's another word? It's for a legal paper. Thank you!
What's a word that describes the way Witnesses behave as a group?
by paul from cleveland 79 Replies latest jw friends
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Hecce
Nuts! -
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Village Idiot
In general I would say herd but if it's for a legal paper you might try something fancy like "tribalistic". -
David_Jay
The word, in my humble opinion, is "ideological."
And I mean "ideology" as in the same demand for zeal and uniformity of WWII Imperial Japan or the jihadist group ISIS (ISIL, IS, Daesh). It is a philosophy that insists that your way is right, others need to conform to it, and includes a strong "us-against-the-world" attitude which is generally an earmark to this type of thinking.
These type of ideological societies generally see themselves as central players in a religious drama, one at a climactic point in history that will soon change to see all the universe conform to their views. Their adherence to the ideology is far more important that the individual doctrines or beliefs that make it up (which can be disposed of as necessary should any of these stand in the way of the central conviction that they are the central players in the most important world-altering events).
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paul from cleveland
Maybe insular is the word. I'm looking for a neutral word that doesn't necessarily connote negativity. -
stan livedeath
effluence -
paul from cleveland
David_Jay, does "ideological" convey the idea of a group keeps to itself? This is mainly in reference to social relationships. -
David_Jay
I cannot say. Ideologies believe in making others like themselves or rejecting them. That is why it is so easy to do violence to non-members or ignore them in acts of shunning. -
sparky1
A conformist society.