Wilhelm44

High school sucked so much

"My point wasn't to paint all moderators with a single brush. My critique is strictly operational: when internal friction gets weaponized publicly, it drains the engine." Spot on. @LordFall

Start a separate thread then where you focus on the actual complaints. Throwing in the cult word prematurely has not been very productive at all, it just leads to a shit show.

Aha, yes I hear you. Would you say that the sense of there being an actual thinker is an illusion or not ?

I feel more real than ever

How is not relevant. You're literally accusing Leo of running a cult,

If you're experiencing abuse here worse than in an actual cult, it is a bit strange that you still deciding to stay. Must be some massive benefits then. (Also the real cult that you referring to is something that happened on Dischord apparently. You can hardly compare that to something like the MAPLE cult discussed by @Consilience in the other thread.) It sounded to me like Leo felt insulted by you guys insinuating that this is a cult, and he said something to the effect of: makes me not want to teach you guys anymore. Kind of similar to something I heard a teacher say many a time with regards to an unruly class. You said you felt personally threatened by that. No disrespect, but I think it's hardly comparable to the type of personal threats one would probably receive in a place like MAPLE. "I could be wrong though." (Adding this phrase as a caveat at the end, so that @zurew doesn't think I'm running a cult.)

@Carl-Richard If your experience here has been worse than being in an actual cult, what has caused you to stay ?

You say you don't care to call this place a cult, but it sounds like you are. I have never felt personally threatened here. What made you feel personally threatened here ?

Well some people here actually do care about calling this place a cult and I think it's a travesty. I'm not an expert on cults. You asked Leo for his definition of mind control. This is what google says about mind control in cults : Mind control in a cult is a systematic process of coercive persuasion designed to manipulate an individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It replaces a person's authentic identity and critical thinking skills with an artificial, cult-dependent identity, enforcing unquestioning obedience to the group or leader. [1, 2, 3] Mental manipulation within these groups is often comprehensively outlined by the BITE Model of Authoritarian Control, created by mental health professional Steve Hassan, which categorizes control into four pillars: [1, 2] 1. Behavior Control Regulating daily life: Controlling what members eat, sleep, wear, and how they spend their time. Financial and resource dominance: Demanding total financial commitment, major time investments, or even turning over assets. Punishment and reward: Using public praise for compliance and shame, ostracism, or punishments for stepping out of line. [1, 2, 3, 4] 2. Information Control Isolation: Cutting members off from friends, family, and external support systems to limit alternative perspectives. Deception: Withholding vital information, altering historical facts, or lying about the group's true intentions and leadership. Information gating: Heavily censoring media, internet access, and forbidding interaction with critics or former members. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 3. Thought Control Thought-stopping: Training members to instantly block critical or doubtful thoughts using repetitive meditation, chanting, or reciting mantras. Black-and-white thinking: Forcing a strict "us vs. them" mentality where the group is inherently good and the outside world is evil. Reframing reality: Indoctrinating members to interpret all failures as their own fault, ensuring the cult/leader remains infallible. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 4. Emotional Control Love-bombing: Using excessive flattery, attention, and affection during recruitment to manufacture rapid, intense loyalty. [1, 2, 3] Inducing phobias: Instilling deep, irrational fears of what will happen to them or their loved ones if they question, criticize, or attempt to leave the group. [1, 2] Guilt and fear: Manipulating members through a constant cycle of unworthiness to ensure they constantly strive for the group's approval. [1]

No one here can honestly say they have been manipulated for nefarious purposes, ie manipulated to be literally exploited in bad faith, ie financially, sexually or otherwise. Calling this place a cult is an insult to people who have been in real cults.

Bro I don't need to interact with you. Bro gets challenged and decides I'm not a good faith actor. How do you know I'm not a good faith actor. "You could be wrong"

@zurew I don't owe you shit. Where did I misrepresent any of your positions.

Bro, ur the one making cult accusations. Spell it out.

I asked you that question long ago. You act like ur in some position of righteous power. Answer my question first, jesus I've asked it like 3 times now.

Being manipulated for nefarious purposes. Can you honestly say you have felt unsafe here, or manipulated for nefarious purposes, ie financial, sexual or otherwise literal exploitation ?

Yeah, go ask people who have been in real cults, these acussations are silly.

Spot on, it's that simple.

@zurew It's not my job to clearly summarize your position. I'm not the one making cult accusations.

You making a lot of assumptions there. And you still haven't answered my question which was following a very logical train of thought, based on your previous answers: If Adyashanti or Tolle or Leo just always remember to add the caveat, "I could be wrong" do they cease to be cult leaders ?

Now you finally decide to respond. But you still can't say what you would have done differently if you were Leo.

Notice I'm not talking down to you by calling your points "cute" etc. Since the start of the day, you have called me a "motherfucker", told me to "just use my brain for once" etc. And then you complain about Leo. Cry me a river.

Conveniently you ignored my first question. If Adyashanti or Tolle or Leo just always remember to add the caveat, "I could be wrong" do they cease to be cult leaders ?

Are you just making up your own definitions of what a cult is ?

So if he just adds the phrase " I might be wrong " then he ceases to be a cult leader ?