I define a cult as a professionally managed social environment. Because of the enormous importance of having a good social environment, normal people might very plausibly and rationally want to be part of a cult and be willing to pay someone to lead it. Of course, for the same reason, performing this role badly might to horrific outcomes (just like medical or legal malpractice). The reason the word “cult” has negative connotation is partly due to vividness bias (most cults are just living happily out on a farm somewhere, without bothering anyone, and we never hear about them), and partly due to a circular pattern where society stigmatizes cultishness, so the people who join/create them are predisposed to mental illness.
I would pay good money to be part of a “cult” that emphasized healthy living, non-consumerism, animal ethics, environmentalism, and community life. Yes, it would have rules that would seem weird to outsiders (e.g. no jewelry, no visible brand logos, veganism or strict diet codes, you have to hike 10 miles / day), but that is literally the whole point: I want to be in a community that upholds such values.
I define a cult as a professionally managed social environment. Because of the enormous importance of having a good social environment, normal people might very plausibly and rationally want to be part of a cult and be willing to pay someone to lead it. Of course, for the same reason, performing this role badly might to horrific outcomes (just like medical or legal malpractice). The reason the word “cult” has negative connotation is partly due to vividness bias (most cults are just living happily out on a farm somewhere, without bothering anyone, and we never hear about them), and partly due to a circular pattern where society stigmatizes cultishness, so the people who join/create them are predisposed to mental illness.
I would pay good money to be part of a “cult” that emphasized healthy living, non-consumerism, animal ethics, environmentalism, and community life. Yes, it would have rules that would seem weird to outsiders (e.g. no jewelry, no visible brand logos, veganism or strict diet codes, you have to hike 10 miles / day), but that is literally the whole point: I want to be in a community that upholds such values.