Disagree, at least in my experience. I’ve lived in Berkeley since 2022. I’ve never seen (or directly heard about) the aggressive psychological stuff and cults. I’ve never met the relevant people. I’ve known one person who invited Vassar to her events (but idk at what points he’s lived around here) and shared google docs with him; it is very rare and surprising to see his name on events or google docs; I don’t recall seeing either since 2023. From my perspective it looks like the community has successfully exiled the obviously bad actors.
That said, I do select for wholesome and professional environments; I’m less likely than median to see bad actors.
Vassar and crew pick targets pretty carefully. If you have good social instincts, strong mental boundaries, and a healthy moral compass, he will try to cut you out of his circles too.
Disagree, at least in my experience. I’ve lived in Berkeley since 2022. I’ve never seen (or directly heard about) the aggressive psychological stuff and cults. I’ve never met the relevant people. I’ve known one person who invited Vassar to her events (but idk at what points he’s lived around here) and shared google docs with him; it is very rare and surprising to see his name on events or google docs; I don’t recall seeing either since 2023. From my perspective it looks like the community has successfully exiled the obviously bad actors.
That said, I do select for wholesome and professional environments; I’m less likely than median to see bad actors.
Vassar and crew pick targets pretty carefully. If you have good social instincts, strong mental boundaries, and a healthy moral compass, he will try to cut you out of his circles too.