I was watching a tee vee show about the cult NXIVM and it got me thinking on the subject of wisdom, and later, of charisma.
The leader of this cult is represnted as legendarily intelligent. He’s broken records on IQ tests, he holds dozens of degrees, he’s pushing forward the frontier of science.
To me, he came off as an overly familiar Highschool guidence counselor who also helps with audio visual in the theater department.
He took in many worldly and famous folks from Hollywood. The fact that he convinced them to move from Los Angeles and New York City to Albany should speak to his not inconsiderable powers.
These were not stupid people, yet his words of: be your best self, be endlessly joyful, change the world... drew them in, like it always does.
It just seems like, isn’t that what most doctrines are promising, one way or another? Is what makes this one appealing the new coat of paint in the form of a corporate business team building exercise?
The leader of this cult is represnted as legendarily intelligent. He’s broken records on IQ tests, he holds dozens of degrees, he’s pushing forward the frontier of science.
To me, he came off as an overly familiar Highschool guidence counselor who also helps with audio visual in the theater department.
He took in many worldly and famous folks from Hollywood. The fact that he convinced them to move from Los Angeles and New York City to Albany should speak to his not inconsiderable powers.
These were not stupid people, yet his words of: be your best self, be endlessly joyful, change the world... drew them in, like it always does.
It just seems like, isn’t that what most doctrines are promising, one way or another? Is what makes this one appealing the new coat of paint in the form of a corporate business team building exercise?
None of these ideas are new.
None of these ideas are being presented in a way that is particularly novel.
They are just a present audience, hearing it spoken with hot breath and pheromones.
In this way we can almost choose which doctrine we earnestly believe, simply by being in the presence of its preaching. That only gets us so far, of course. Once people start branding eachother in a sex cult no amount of in-person charisma cuts it.