Why do people continue to defend Donald Trump, even at the risk of losing family and friends over it?
Dave Haynie, Electronics systems engineer analyzing politics as just another complex system.
Answered Mar 18
It’s a cult!
Some of the indictors that a following or group is actually a cult:
Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
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.
No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
The group has a polarized, us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary.
This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (e.g., lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
Subservience to the leader or group requires or results in members cutting ties with family and friends, and radically altering the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
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 broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.
Sound familiar?
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