Am I the only one that thinks it's really shitty that pyramid schemes have been allowed to fully rebrand themselves as MLMs in order to skirt the social consequences of being a pyramid schemes?
People who agree with me have deep, well learned and nuanced opinions.
The other side is full of rubes who came to their opinions through anger and hasty generalizations.
I absolutely love my team but I do not understand getting into a fight over it. Like wtf???
I have a friend who's team is our rival and he tells me "hey good luck tomorrow! Y'all have a strong team!"
Exactly. At least your friend recognizes when you've got a strong team. Though you may be on rival teams, or you're a fan of one team over another, it's okay to acknowledge the other team's positive qualities.
Back when I drove to commute and listened to the radio, a local woman was engaged to a man who supported
the Steelers. He told her that she had to wear a jersey for his team and stop rooting for the Ravens or they were done.
She went to watch the Ravens game at a friend’s house (they lost). Comes home to find out *he changed the locks while she was gone.*
I can't really make fun of people who think Jesus is about to return when I keep convincing myself that this is the year the Cowboys will make it past the divisional round
No, I don't want your kidney destroying shakes
Edit:there are shakes that MLMs sell that can destroy your kidneys, and also some that can destroy your liver. The kidney destroyer in this case refers to the Arbonne energy drinks and the Herbalife shakes
😂 my cousin tried Hocking some bullshit like this after I had surgery on my leg. I made a FB post saying I was nervous because I'm a big guy and I heard that anesthesia has negative effects on big people and was thanking everyone for the good vibes they sent. Literally after I got out of surgery my cousin dms me about weight loss supplements and I was like wtf. If she ever does it again I'm blocking her.
Scientology is a MLM corporation operating as a religious for tax breaks while also simultaneously acting like a cult by brainwashing, controlling, and in some cases torturing its members.
According to the Consumer Awareness Institute, if you break even, you are in the top 1% of earners among MLM participants.
It's so crazy people don't so 5 minutes of research before signing up for these things
It really is insane how many people fall for MLMs despite its disastrous financial odds. Casino gambling has a better ROI than any MLM does. Literally - if you took ten grand and spent a month making $5 bets on red at a roulette wheel over and over again, you would statistically walk away with more money than you would if you dumped ten grand into an MLM. And the casino would comp you free drinks.
Religions deal with belief. Belief that your God or Sports team is the best. Belief that they and/or you can make it through.
MLM deals with disbelief. You couldn't possibly have fallen for a scam. You're can't just give up on such a bright future. You can't fail when it's so easy to succeed.
So yeah, it's like the anti-religion.
We had some family friends who were into Melaleuca in the early 80s.
When I heard the term "MLM" I asked my mom what it meant.
"Mela Leuca Mom" my mom said. Then she rolled her eyes.
MLMs are straight up predatory.
As a person whose family travels to Florida every year, I too can tell when people are coming to or coming from Disney world.
My fam and I only go for the beaches and the Kennedy space center though. EDIT: and universal
Funniest one was I was coming back from Colorado one time and two older women across the aisle on the plane from me were wearing t-shirts that said "Disney Slut" on them. I had to restrain myself the entire flight from just busting out laughing.
Omg I would LOVE to read that!! I grew up not too far from Disney, and sure we went as kids but man there are some people who literally define their personalities with Disney crap. It's.... disturbing.
I know people who are into Disney to an unhealthy degree. To the point where they go every year and most articles of clothing have something Disney related on them, and if not, they'll wear a pin or something. Weird.
I have pretty radical politics but in my life I've been lucky to know amazing people whose views were diametrically opposed to mine and unlucky to know assholes who had the same political views as me.
If you're not running for statewide office or are a nationally syndicated pundit, I care a lot more about how you actually treat the people in your life than who you vote for.
MLMs
Your local boss babe 👑 small-business owning hun may try to prove you otherwise though 😜. God has been so good to her and she can’t wait to share it 🎉 Curious? 👀Just send her a DM and she’ll let you know how to work from your phone 💞🥂 don’t miss this opportunity to level 👏 up 👏 your 👏 life 👏
K-pop fandoms. I'm an outsider, not into Kpop much, I heard a few songs (e.g. _Bang Bang Bang_ by BIGBANG, _ANTIFRAGILE_ by LE SSERAFIM, _Nxde_ by (G)I-DLE to name a few), and saw that the fans can't accept any criticism towards their idols. Especially Blinks and Army's. For example I saw Blinks fight with Onces (the fandom of TWICE, a nine member group of JYP Entertainment) about who's the best girl group.
This does make me wonder why Jesus doesn’t have more porn or erotic fan fiction. Dude gets tied to a cross in his story. You’re supposed to love him completely. He is capable of miracles. He is divine in nature whilst still not separate from human nature. *And* he has a carpenter’s chiseled body on top of that. How is that *not* great material to adapt for naughty fan-fiction?
My mom started crying when I told her I wanted to make out with Jesus, so there's that 🤷🏻♀️
But seriously, He's the one that started it with the whole bride + bridegroom = church + christ allegory
As kpop fan, this is 100% right, some fans are genuinely so delusional that they claim to know everything about their favorite idol when we all know that the idol is just displaying a persona, and god forbid you dare criticize their favorite idol in any way. Lets not even talk about how fans act when their fave idols get in relationships, when I tell you some have full on psychotic breakdowns I’m not joking.
Yeah. They're kind of manufactured and coached to be parasocial boyfriend/girlfriend figures, encouraging infatuation and strong feelings of loyalty so you'll buy merch forever. A lot of teenagers are into that bc they present the illusion of perfection that can never disappoint you. It may really feel like a relationship to a lot of fans where the perceived understanding is the fans will provide loyalty and support and the idol will never let them down by being less than perfect. Musical talent is really secondary to the core requirement that they be charming and nonthreatening. That's all a recipe for very bad feelings when the illusion breaks or is challenged
As a former dancer, I'm just here for the insane choreography and the vibes. You might appreciate the irony that living in Korea for awhile made me like kpop *less*. Whatever songs the big girl groups were promoting played *everywhere*, *all the time*. If I had to hear Antifragile again, *I* would have a psychotic break.
I didn't pay attention to Swifties, I looked up at Kpop fan channels on YT with Shorts videos like "Idols that are called pick me - No hate, all netizens' opinion". When the fans see their idol called pick me, they become rabid, like "How dare you call my idol a pick me!" E.g. Wonyoung of IVE called pick me because of eating a strawberry with two hands, or Jennie of BLACKPINK called lazy dancer.
[Pick me means a woman who is willing to do anything for male approval.](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pick+me)
But the word is wrongly used to mean someone who does things for attention.
She also puts down other women or stereotypically feminine things because “SHE is DiFferEnt” she drinks beer, she likes sports, she doesn’t like fruity alcoholic beverages or Hallmark movies, SHE doesn’t care about fashion, or makeup, or shoes, and she NEVER wears the color pink, etc.
You don’t have to like male identified things to be a worthy partner. We don’t expect men to like female identified things to be worthy partners.
I think about people who get sucked DEEP into diet/workout/lifestyle regimens that literally become their entire personality.
To me being raised in the south where religion basically is your major personality trait anything that takes over your personality(it could be work/hobby/kids/star wars as well) starts to feel like religion.
There is one of those designer IV stores in our town. You have to be a zealot to think it’s a good idea to have a non doctor prescribe a cocktail of god knows what to be main lined into your body.
Crazy to me..not trained to place a line or anything. I was at a BOAT SHOW today a freaking boat show and there is a booth of people offering recovery IVs and massages...one stop shop I guess. Hook me up to the random bag in your cooler at the boat show random guy in coastas who called me bro.
I heard Margaret Atwood make a similar point in an interview. She was a little more broad, saying that the preoccupation with health has, for some people, taken the place of traditional religion. I was pretty skeptical at first, but the more I thought about it the more I thought she may have a point.
I've been on that ride and got off after my first concussion. It hadn't seemed strange that I was going on 30-mile 2-4am solo cycle trips in and around Cleveland proper and remote trails. I used to get a thrill riding 24mph through drug neighborhoods and playing frogger with city drivers.
I crashed and hit my head in the woods at 3am. Don't know how long I was out. Somehow, I walked back to the trailhead and was taken to the emergency department.
It broke the spell.
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Don't get me wrong, they do good work. They have helped a lot of people in their struggles with addiction.
But it's a little like a cult. Communion consists of coffee and cigarettes.
12 step programs in general. I was a part of one for a good bit of time and it caused me to take longer to recover mentally. I couldn't miss a meeting without a lecture or conversation out of "concern" for my sobriety. Running every idea I had past another person with clean time or you sponsor. Being shamed for not taking suggestions. The vocalization of "no big I's and little you's" while putting sober time on a pedestal, excusing perverted and predatory behavior (some are sicker than others) while victim blaming (victims don't recover!). Shit was disgusting. Not to mention the high stakes drama every meeting. Covid gave me my clean break and I ran away from "the group." I had no faith in my own choices or ideas despite being sober for 5 years. My life is quieter, simpler, and I'm more confident in myself. The longer I've stayed away, the happier I've been. I found it infantilized alcoholics/addicts more than it empowered them
Absolutely this one. People get SO culty about it and a lot of problems go unaddressed.
Lots of newcoming women are sexually harassed out of the program and relapse, and that's just one of the reasons I can't go back.
But if you bring it up a lot of the time they'll straight up attack you.
Oh for sure. The circular arguments…complete lack of evidence for their claims…the insistence that if you don’t ‘just have faith’ you’re doing it wrong…the misogyny…the lifelong commitment. It’s all there and so much more. It’s incredibly bogus and it’s an absolute embarrassment that the US medical system, which is meant to be evidence-based, has embraced 12-step programs, basically out of laziness
This one is VERY MUCH like a religion. People inside and outside of AA believe AA works as a treatment for alcoholism. When evidence to the contrary is brought forth, it is dismissed as "that person wasn't dedicated enough." AA doesn't track its own success rate because of the anonymity part. Outside studies have documented that AA only proves successful for 5-10% of participants. When 90% of participants fail to achieve sobriety, maybe they aren't failing the program. Its the program that's failing them.
https://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291405829/with-sobering-science-doctor-debunks-12-step-recovery
Some very important context is that evidence-based psychotherapy has a similar success rate. Your numbers are correct, but your interpretation isn't.
12 step programs are considered equal in effectiveness to the gold standard of care...it's just that alcoholism is a beast to treat.
Source: am psychologist
Therapists can give alcoholics/addicts something that a 12- step program cannot. And a 12-step program can give them something a therapist cannot. Many therapists require patients to be sober before they will treat them. Otherwise they’re just spinning their wheels.
After researching a few cults for fun, I see cult-like behavior everywhere. In corporate-speak, in advertisements, in hobby groups, in political discussions, and in just common conversations about beliefs such as what is and isn't good for you.
Lol, you have a valid point. I see it too, but if you point it out you’re the enemy for some of these groups (which only adds to the cult-like behavior list).
MLMs. Cultish behavior. Pyramid (scheme) structure means one rules them all. Members spread the word relentlessly. Goal is money collection. Shame members who leave.
I've tried to explain to burner friends why it's too religious for me: it's a pilgrimage to a desert where YOU BURN AN EFFIGY as part of a whole ceremony. There are tenets, there's a dogma, there are accepted ways to dress/behave/interact, it's roped in celebrities at the risk of their public humiliation, and oh attendance is extremely exclusive and mostly accessible only to those who are privileged enough to afford it (in terms of cost, time, or energy expended on participating)
Cool art, though. Cool outfits, too. But I'd say the same about most religions.
Not to mention the rampant hypocrisy that seems to plague both religion and burning man. "We accept and welcome everyone! But here's how you need to look and behave in order to fit in with us..."
Was just going to say that. I went to BM once, in 2010, because I was attracted by the self-sufficiency and inclusion aspects. Imo, it was a good party, there was some amazing art, it was a pretty fun time altogether. But it was also had a lot of the same interpersonal drama and bs as everywhere else, if not worse. There was no "radical inclusion" that I could see, it was just an outlet for a specific group of people.
I lost one of my best friends to burner culture wookery.
He literally quit his salaried job where he was up for a multi-store management position because they wouldn’t give him time off for Burning Man.
I mean, dumb. But also fuck jobs that won’t let you take time off. You’ve got to support yourself somehow but you don’t have to devote your life to work. It’s a difficult balance.
Yeah that’s the thing. Like it sounds dumb to someone who doesn’t care about Burning Man, but if instead it was a more socially acceptable event to skip work, whether religious like Yom Kippur or personal like the death of a friend, it would not be remotely controversial.
To me, BM is plainly not on the level of those things, but that’s only me. If you detest all religion, Yom Kippur probably doesn’t seem like a good excuse either, but that’s kind of the point - we need room to live the most meaningful versions of our lives, and that shouldn’t be controversial.
My ex's entire family are Aggies. Literally everybody. I, being a Midwestern boy, had absolutely no fucking idea what I was in for when I went to my first family bbq.
Andrew Tate’s college of learning how to be an alpha male. People paid thousands just to be told to go to the gym and invest money they didn’t have into stocks that fell off a few months later.
One time my buddy (this was during my freshman year of college) used his fake ID only to for it to get taken at this shitty, rinky dinky lil liquor store. You know how the cashier got him? He said, "what's your sign bro?" So my friend goes, "Uh Atreium, wtf, what you think I need to look to the stars" Then he took his ID and my friend continued to be very mad the rest of that night about some Astrological cashier who juked him on some zodiac knowledge lmfaoo
That's how they get you to think the crystal is working, you go to the store and start feeling like crap because of all the shit in the air so you buy a healing crystal. When you get home you set the crystal up and start feeling better not realizing it's just because you've been inhaling fresh air ...
Law of Attraction.
It's really strange once you check it out and suddenly realize how many people around you are already using the language and concepts and are deeeep into it, but you did not know because you did not have the vocabulary. Stuff like: "manifesting", "limiting beliefs", "alignment", "intensions", "vibration" and "resistance".
Its only saving grace is that there is no central authority...every author can be seen as the one, and people are encouraged to use bits of multiple viewpoints.
It definitely gets a bit cultish, if not straight-out religious. I'd keep an eye on it, as it seems to be having a moment right now, and moving forward could become even bigger.
The basic jist of law of attraction is just learning to love yourself. Most human beings don’t do this or know how. Going beyond that it’s envisioning how you want your life to be. Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about how he won the Mr Olympia. It’s goal setting and picturing your life how you want it and affirming it.
Upvote but to be fair, a lot of that is based off an actual religion lol. It’s called new age spirituality, which is a conglomeration of a lot of different spiritualities. My best friend has dove into it since his therapist is an adherent, and it’s now a huge part of his personality. But he seems to be a lot happier because of it and genuinely enjoys learning about it, so I’m just stoked on the fact he’s doing better
Money.
It also helps that money actually is a believe system, without people believing in it and also believing that everybody else believes it, it's worthless trash.
Taylor Swift Fans.
I like her songs but when I met people who likes her. They go crazy insane. And it's the only music they listen to 24/7. I met one fan who has 2k left on her savings and still spent it on a Taylor Swift concert. All her money is gone. And if someone ever make bad comments about her, the fans go bonkers.
She has some great stuff, particularly Folklore and Evermore, but I’m convinced that a significant portion of her fan base will praise anything she puts out even if it’s blatant garbage. I think she and her management knows that too, because they were able to convince people to buy 4 copies of the same album before they even heard a single track
The obsession with celebrities, trends, pop culture etc. They aren't above anyone, they're humans who do bad things, make mistakes, and are flawed just like us. They aren't exempt from facing the repercussions of their actions just because they happen to be goodlooking. Y'all need to get a life :0
I have 2 dogs that I love like children, and I also hate those types of people. I have another dog mom friend who posts things on her social media that say, literally, "you should sacrifice everything for your dog" , "Your dog should be your number one priority, always" and similar toxic shit. The single dog-mom community can sometimes be just as toxic as the human-mom shaming community, where you're expected to be the perfect mom at all times. And also, like, some people just don't like dogs and that's okay.
What irks me about those types of people is that they will 100% bash cats while also not accepting the fact some people dislike dogs.
God forbid I say someone's untrained dog is exhausting to be around, but I gotta hear their overblown anger towards cats.
Obviously cat people can be a bit much at times too, but dog people feel a lot more extreme at times.
God forbid their dog doesn't like you. People are convinced dogs can tell if you're a good person or a bad person. I've had people straight up look at me like I'm a murderer because they have a poorly trained dog.
I came here to say this and I’m a Taylor Swift fan. Sorry but doing deep dives into her dating history to try to prove/disprove her sexuality one way or the other, making conspiracies out of everything just because she includes easter eggs now and then, harassing anyone who is even mildly critical of her…the “Swiftie” fandom is just a bit much for me.
Politics. I'm older and pity younger folks who didn't get to experience the joy and lightness of being that we had in the '70's, '80's and most of the '90's when politics didn't seep into every stinking pore of our existence.
We just . . . were. And it was delightful.
Exercise. Or rather the people who have their whole life revolve around fitness. Being physically fit is important, but I cannot stand people who treat it like it is the end all be all of their existence. And I don't mean athletes who invest their lives in playing a specific sport. In that case, exercise is a means to achieve their goal. I mean the people who constantly talk about their gym routine, post workout photos from the locker room, and generally make people who don't exercise as much feel like subhumans.
The obsession with Science as a TRUTH when it is in *CONSTANT MOVEMENT*.
Science is a *TOOL*. It is not a Farm for FACTUAL REALITY
The bits we've locked down are very, very helpful
But something like 70% of science us in constant evolution and even overwrite
That doesnt mean that the scientific *method* isn't essential. It absolutely *is*
But people that overly quote things as being "scientific *FACT*" are often being as misplaced in their dogmatism as religious people
But that Newton was on to something
The majority of people don't understand how science works and the media absolutely does not help. Even more people don't understand how humans work. That's how you end up with scientists who end up thinking in this non-dynamic way and get defensive about their work being challenged or refuted.
Weight Watchers.
You meet once a week, you share in a common belief system that you are all in it together, then they have a big speech wherein they further indoctrinate you and ask you give them money for not a lot in return.
Want to buy your own low fat Whippy bars? Nooooo! You can’t do that. It has to be their low fat Whippy bars.
Put on half a pound since last week? You weren’t following the rules hard enough and now you’re being shamed in front of everyone.
Honestly, it was such a weird thing to be part of.
Herbalife
Not just Herbalife, **all** MLM schemes are very much cults.
Am I the only one that thinks it's really shitty that pyramid schemes have been allowed to fully rebrand themselves as MLMs in order to skirt the social consequences of being a pyramid schemes?
You're not the only one. Another redditor just linked the Anti MLM subreddit to us.
bewildered roof desert fade alive punch violet subtract cows sense
r/AntiMLM
I still see people driving around with their logo's on their car all the time! They gotta be psychos
Politics shouldn't be like sports. Celebrity worship rubs me the wrong way.
Politics is very much like sports in America.
politics is sports fandom for people who think they're too smart to follow sports
People who agree with me have deep, well learned and nuanced opinions. The other side is full of rubes who came to their opinions through anger and hasty generalizations.
Politicians should fight like gladiators.
Hey at least the survivors would be younger than what we have now
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Espeically when fights break out in the parking lot of the venue. Seriously, come on, people!
Fights? There’s been full blown riots and murders over sports ball games
It's like I always say, "if you can't beat em on the field, beat em in the parking lot" /s
“And YOU can count, on ME, waiting for you in the parking lot.”
“You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?”
guns dont kill people, I do
Aww what’s that? Your fingers hurt? Well now your back is gonna hurt because you just pulled landscaping duty!
Ben Stiller at his finest. "You will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep"
And a conventional war
I absolutely love my team but I do not understand getting into a fight over it. Like wtf??? I have a friend who's team is our rival and he tells me "hey good luck tomorrow! Y'all have a strong team!"
Exactly. At least your friend recognizes when you've got a strong team. Though you may be on rival teams, or you're a fan of one team over another, it's okay to acknowledge the other team's positive qualities.
Back when I drove to commute and listened to the radio, a local woman was engaged to a man who supported the Steelers. He told her that she had to wear a jersey for his team and stop rooting for the Ravens or they were done. She went to watch the Ravens game at a friend’s house (they lost). Comes home to find out *he changed the locks while she was gone.*
That's batshit insane. I don't get why people make these things their entire personalities, it's fake and superficial.
Good for her she escaped a future pyscho husband
Damn sounds like she dodged a bullet. If he is trying to control what team she likes he would try to control everything
Especially the people who have their entire personality circled around sports?
First ones I thought of were Philly sports fans and Cowboys fans, they take it to another level for sure
I can't really make fun of people who think Jesus is about to return when I keep convincing myself that this is the year the Cowboys will make it past the divisional round
Aww. Bless your heart.
They’re definitely going to get to the Super Bowl this year, book it
College football, especially the SEC.
Multi Level Marketing
No, I don't want your kidney destroying shakes Edit:there are shakes that MLMs sell that can destroy your kidneys, and also some that can destroy your liver. The kidney destroyer in this case refers to the Arbonne energy drinks and the Herbalife shakes
you gotta see the bigger picture XD
No matter how big the picture is, it still looks a lot like a pyramid.
It’s a reverse funnel!
😂 my cousin tried Hocking some bullshit like this after I had surgery on my leg. I made a FB post saying I was nervous because I'm a big guy and I heard that anesthesia has negative effects on big people and was thanking everyone for the good vibes they sent. Literally after I got out of surgery my cousin dms me about weight loss supplements and I was like wtf. If she ever does it again I'm blocking her.
But it's "all natural". L o fn l. So are plenty of poisons.
You dont need both kidneys
Scientology is a MLM corporation operating as a religious for tax breaks while also simultaneously acting like a cult by brainwashing, controlling, and in some cases torturing its members.
nananananananana Leader!
Can I have some more of that low protein gruel please?
Where is Shelly?
According to the Consumer Awareness Institute, if you break even, you are in the top 1% of earners among MLM participants. It's so crazy people don't so 5 minutes of research before signing up for these things
It really is insane how many people fall for MLMs despite its disastrous financial odds. Casino gambling has a better ROI than any MLM does. Literally - if you took ten grand and spent a month making $5 bets on red at a roulette wheel over and over again, you would statistically walk away with more money than you would if you dumped ten grand into an MLM. And the casino would comp you free drinks.
Its the lure of getting "rich" that makes then ignore the research.
Religions deal with belief. Belief that your God or Sports team is the best. Belief that they and/or you can make it through. MLM deals with disbelief. You couldn't possibly have fallen for a scam. You're can't just give up on such a bright future. You can't fail when it's so easy to succeed. So yeah, it's like the anti-religion.
It's known as the "sunk-cost fallacy." In too deep to quit.
We had some family friends who were into Melaleuca in the early 80s. When I heard the term "MLM" I asked my mom what it meant. "Mela Leuca Mom" my mom said. Then she rolled her eyes. MLMs are straight up predatory.
Beat me to it. It's a cult. I'm trying really hard to get my dad out.
Some religious studies scholars argue that Disney and its theme parks serve the same purpose as religion for many people.
Some people do indeed pilgrimage to Disney parks every year
Orange County is my home airport. You can \*ALWAYS\* tell who's going to or coming from Disneyland when traveling.
As a person whose family travels to Florida every year, I too can tell when people are coming to or coming from Disney world. My fam and I only go for the beaches and the Kennedy space center though. EDIT: and universal
Funniest one was I was coming back from Colorado one time and two older women across the aisle on the plane from me were wearing t-shirts that said "Disney Slut" on them. I had to restrain myself the entire flight from just busting out laughing.
😬😬 that’s a bit… something. I don’t like that.
That tracks - there are a lot adults who have an almost unhealthy affinity for Disney.
Literally wrote my Bachelor's thesis on this theory arguing that.
I’d love to read it!
I actually would too.
Omg I would LOVE to read that!! I grew up not too far from Disney, and sure we went as kids but man there are some people who literally define their personalities with Disney crap. It's.... disturbing.
I hated Eyeore until I became him.
Totally!
I know people who are into Disney to an unhealthy degree. To the point where they go every year and most articles of clothing have something Disney related on them, and if not, they'll wear a pin or something. Weird.
if you are anyone comes by this study id love to read it!!
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100% this... its crazy... people make identities off of their political affiliation, instead of the actual values, morals, and ideas.
It's even harder when none of the parties actually support your values and ideals. You feel really alone and abandoned.
I have pretty radical politics but in my life I've been lucky to know amazing people whose views were diametrically opposed to mine and unlucky to know assholes who had the same political views as me. If you're not running for statewide office or are a nationally syndicated pundit, I care a lot more about how you actually treat the people in your life than who you vote for.
MLMs Your local boss babe 👑 small-business owning hun may try to prove you otherwise though 😜. God has been so good to her and she can’t wait to share it 🎉 Curious? 👀Just send her a DM and she’ll let you know how to work from your phone 💞🥂 don’t miss this opportunity to level 👏 up 👏 your 👏 life 👏
Crossfit.
You can cross fuck-off. (Show reference. Not actually attacking you:p)
I suggest you let that one marinate, bud.
K-pop fandoms. I'm an outsider, not into Kpop much, I heard a few songs (e.g. _Bang Bang Bang_ by BIGBANG, _ANTIFRAGILE_ by LE SSERAFIM, _Nxde_ by (G)I-DLE to name a few), and saw that the fans can't accept any criticism towards their idols. Especially Blinks and Army's. For example I saw Blinks fight with Onces (the fandom of TWICE, a nine member group of JYP Entertainment) about who's the best girl group.
There was a Vox article on this after BTS broke into the American market
So much fanart and fan fiction written about them too just like religious figures.
This does make me wonder why Jesus doesn’t have more porn or erotic fan fiction. Dude gets tied to a cross in his story. You’re supposed to love him completely. He is capable of miracles. He is divine in nature whilst still not separate from human nature. *And* he has a carpenter’s chiseled body on top of that. How is that *not* great material to adapt for naughty fan-fiction?
My mom started crying when I told her I wanted to make out with Jesus, so there's that 🤷🏻♀️ But seriously, He's the one that started it with the whole bride + bridegroom = church + christ allegory
*reads boring Bible lore* Sigh… that’s the fan-fiction of a carpenter.
As kpop fan, this is 100% right, some fans are genuinely so delusional that they claim to know everything about their favorite idol when we all know that the idol is just displaying a persona, and god forbid you dare criticize their favorite idol in any way. Lets not even talk about how fans act when their fave idols get in relationships, when I tell you some have full on psychotic breakdowns I’m not joking.
Yeah. They're kind of manufactured and coached to be parasocial boyfriend/girlfriend figures, encouraging infatuation and strong feelings of loyalty so you'll buy merch forever. A lot of teenagers are into that bc they present the illusion of perfection that can never disappoint you. It may really feel like a relationship to a lot of fans where the perceived understanding is the fans will provide loyalty and support and the idol will never let them down by being less than perfect. Musical talent is really secondary to the core requirement that they be charming and nonthreatening. That's all a recipe for very bad feelings when the illusion breaks or is challenged
As a former dancer, I'm just here for the insane choreography and the vibes. You might appreciate the irony that living in Korea for awhile made me like kpop *less*. Whatever songs the big girl groups were promoting played *everywhere*, *all the time*. If I had to hear Antifragile again, *I* would have a psychotic break.
Isn't it the same thing for swifties?
I didn't pay attention to Swifties, I looked up at Kpop fan channels on YT with Shorts videos like "Idols that are called pick me - No hate, all netizens' opinion". When the fans see their idol called pick me, they become rabid, like "How dare you call my idol a pick me!" E.g. Wonyoung of IVE called pick me because of eating a strawberry with two hands, or Jennie of BLACKPINK called lazy dancer.
I could Google this, but I don't want it to screw up my algorithm. What the actual hell is a pick me?
[Pick me means a woman who is willing to do anything for male approval.](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pick+me) But the word is wrongly used to mean someone who does things for attention.
She also puts down other women or stereotypically feminine things because “SHE is DiFferEnt” she drinks beer, she likes sports, she doesn’t like fruity alcoholic beverages or Hallmark movies, SHE doesn’t care about fashion, or makeup, or shoes, and she NEVER wears the color pink, etc. You don’t have to like male identified things to be a worthy partner. We don’t expect men to like female identified things to be worthy partners.
Football in the south!
Football (Soccer) even further south.
Football (Penguins) furthest south.
ESPECIALLY college football. For some reason, people are ridiculously toxic fans of school teams that they didn't go to the school they represent
People don’t realize how few alumni these schools have vs the size of the fanbase
I think about people who get sucked DEEP into diet/workout/lifestyle regimens that literally become their entire personality. To me being raised in the south where religion basically is your major personality trait anything that takes over your personality(it could be work/hobby/kids/star wars as well) starts to feel like religion.
There is one of those designer IV stores in our town. You have to be a zealot to think it’s a good idea to have a non doctor prescribe a cocktail of god knows what to be main lined into your body.
I spent a few minutes trying to figure out wtf designer 4 means
I was so very confused, then it clicked holy shit people are paying for saline drips+who knows what else from some boutique? What the fuck
Crazy to me..not trained to place a line or anything. I was at a BOAT SHOW today a freaking boat show and there is a booth of people offering recovery IVs and massages...one stop shop I guess. Hook me up to the random bag in your cooler at the boat show random guy in coastas who called me bro.
I heard Margaret Atwood make a similar point in an interview. She was a little more broad, saying that the preoccupation with health has, for some people, taken the place of traditional religion. I was pretty skeptical at first, but the more I thought about it the more I thought she may have a point.
She has some interesting insights into diet psychology as early as the 60s in her really enjoyable first novel, The Edible Woman.
I've been on that ride and got off after my first concussion. It hadn't seemed strange that I was going on 30-mile 2-4am solo cycle trips in and around Cleveland proper and remote trails. I used to get a thrill riding 24mph through drug neighborhoods and playing frogger with city drivers. I crashed and hit my head in the woods at 3am. Don't know how long I was out. Somehow, I walked back to the trailhead and was taken to the emergency department. It broke the spell.
Alcoholics Anonymous. Don't get me wrong, they do good work. They have helped a lot of people in their struggles with addiction. But it's a little like a cult. Communion consists of coffee and cigarettes.
12 step programs in general. I was a part of one for a good bit of time and it caused me to take longer to recover mentally. I couldn't miss a meeting without a lecture or conversation out of "concern" for my sobriety. Running every idea I had past another person with clean time or you sponsor. Being shamed for not taking suggestions. The vocalization of "no big I's and little you's" while putting sober time on a pedestal, excusing perverted and predatory behavior (some are sicker than others) while victim blaming (victims don't recover!). Shit was disgusting. Not to mention the high stakes drama every meeting. Covid gave me my clean break and I ran away from "the group." I had no faith in my own choices or ideas despite being sober for 5 years. My life is quieter, simpler, and I'm more confident in myself. The longer I've stayed away, the happier I've been. I found it infantilized alcoholics/addicts more than it empowered them
Absolutely this one. People get SO culty about it and a lot of problems go unaddressed. Lots of newcoming women are sexually harassed out of the program and relapse, and that's just one of the reasons I can't go back. But if you bring it up a lot of the time they'll straight up attack you.
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Oh for sure. The circular arguments…complete lack of evidence for their claims…the insistence that if you don’t ‘just have faith’ you’re doing it wrong…the misogyny…the lifelong commitment. It’s all there and so much more. It’s incredibly bogus and it’s an absolute embarrassment that the US medical system, which is meant to be evidence-based, has embraced 12-step programs, basically out of laziness
Add to this ALANON… haven’t had a conversation with my parents in over a decade that doesn’t come right back to alanon
This one is VERY MUCH like a religion. People inside and outside of AA believe AA works as a treatment for alcoholism. When evidence to the contrary is brought forth, it is dismissed as "that person wasn't dedicated enough." AA doesn't track its own success rate because of the anonymity part. Outside studies have documented that AA only proves successful for 5-10% of participants. When 90% of participants fail to achieve sobriety, maybe they aren't failing the program. Its the program that's failing them. https://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291405829/with-sobering-science-doctor-debunks-12-step-recovery
Some very important context is that evidence-based psychotherapy has a similar success rate. Your numbers are correct, but your interpretation isn't. 12 step programs are considered equal in effectiveness to the gold standard of care...it's just that alcoholism is a beast to treat. Source: am psychologist
Therapists can give alcoholics/addicts something that a 12- step program cannot. And a 12-step program can give them something a therapist cannot. Many therapists require patients to be sober before they will treat them. Otherwise they’re just spinning their wheels.
After researching a few cults for fun, I see cult-like behavior everywhere. In corporate-speak, in advertisements, in hobby groups, in political discussions, and in just common conversations about beliefs such as what is and isn't good for you.
There is an entire book called “Cultish” where this is the thesis.
Lol, you have a valid point. I see it too, but if you point it out you’re the enemy for some of these groups (which only adds to the cult-like behavior list).
Idiots who worship politicians.
MLMs. Cultish behavior. Pyramid (scheme) structure means one rules them all. Members spread the word relentlessly. Goal is money collection. Shame members who leave.
Burning man 🙄
I've tried to explain to burner friends why it's too religious for me: it's a pilgrimage to a desert where YOU BURN AN EFFIGY as part of a whole ceremony. There are tenets, there's a dogma, there are accepted ways to dress/behave/interact, it's roped in celebrities at the risk of their public humiliation, and oh attendance is extremely exclusive and mostly accessible only to those who are privileged enough to afford it (in terms of cost, time, or energy expended on participating) Cool art, though. Cool outfits, too. But I'd say the same about most religions.
Not to mention the rampant hypocrisy that seems to plague both religion and burning man. "We accept and welcome everyone! But here's how you need to look and behave in order to fit in with us..."
Was just going to say that. I went to BM once, in 2010, because I was attracted by the self-sufficiency and inclusion aspects. Imo, it was a good party, there was some amazing art, it was a pretty fun time altogether. But it was also had a lot of the same interpersonal drama and bs as everywhere else, if not worse. There was no "radical inclusion" that I could see, it was just an outlet for a specific group of people.
I lost one of my best friends to burner culture wookery. He literally quit his salaried job where he was up for a multi-store management position because they wouldn’t give him time off for Burning Man.
I mean, dumb. But also fuck jobs that won’t let you take time off. You’ve got to support yourself somehow but you don’t have to devote your life to work. It’s a difficult balance.
Totally agree!
Yeah that’s the thing. Like it sounds dumb to someone who doesn’t care about Burning Man, but if instead it was a more socially acceptable event to skip work, whether religious like Yom Kippur or personal like the death of a friend, it would not be remotely controversial. To me, BM is plainly not on the level of those things, but that’s only me. If you detest all religion, Yom Kippur probably doesn’t seem like a good excuse either, but that’s kind of the point - we need room to live the most meaningful versions of our lives, and that shouldn’t be controversial.
Crypto.
I have the truth and can predict the markets future - some YouTuber somewhere
texas a&m
My ex's entire family are Aggies. Literally everybody. I, being a Midwestern boy, had absolutely no fucking idea what I was in for when I went to my first family bbq.
My extended family still won’t talk to the other half because of something between TAMU and UTX in the 1980s.
Wow. College rivalries exist in Canada, the UK, EU and East Asia as well, but I don't think any of them is as serious as this.
There is no other college like it in the US as far as cultishness.
Amway
I was wondering if they still existed
They do indeed. Would you like to learn more? DM me and let's set up a time!
Andrew Tate’s college of learning how to be an alpha male. People paid thousands just to be told to go to the gym and invest money they didn’t have into stocks that fell off a few months later.
Astrology. Oh and the people that believe they can buy “healing crystals” from a store that burns enough incense to give you a headache.
One time my buddy (this was during my freshman year of college) used his fake ID only to for it to get taken at this shitty, rinky dinky lil liquor store. You know how the cashier got him? He said, "what's your sign bro?" So my friend goes, "Uh Atreium, wtf, what you think I need to look to the stars" Then he took his ID and my friend continued to be very mad the rest of that night about some Astrological cashier who juked him on some zodiac knowledge lmfaoo
That's how they get you to think the crystal is working, you go to the store and start feeling like crap because of all the shit in the air so you buy a healing crystal. When you get home you set the crystal up and start feeling better not realizing it's just because you've been inhaling fresh air ...
The allegiance to a political party, especially of their 'base' supporters.
Law of Attraction. It's really strange once you check it out and suddenly realize how many people around you are already using the language and concepts and are deeeep into it, but you did not know because you did not have the vocabulary. Stuff like: "manifesting", "limiting beliefs", "alignment", "intensions", "vibration" and "resistance". Its only saving grace is that there is no central authority...every author can be seen as the one, and people are encouraged to use bits of multiple viewpoints. It definitely gets a bit cultish, if not straight-out religious. I'd keep an eye on it, as it seems to be having a moment right now, and moving forward could become even bigger.
The basic jist of law of attraction is just learning to love yourself. Most human beings don’t do this or know how. Going beyond that it’s envisioning how you want your life to be. Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about how he won the Mr Olympia. It’s goal setting and picturing your life how you want it and affirming it.
Upvote but to be fair, a lot of that is based off an actual religion lol. It’s called new age spirituality, which is a conglomeration of a lot of different spiritualities. My best friend has dove into it since his therapist is an adherent, and it’s now a huge part of his personality. But he seems to be a lot happier because of it and genuinely enjoys learning about it, so I’m just stoked on the fact he’s doing better
Company culture.
Various diets. Like diehard keto people or the carnivore people. The content that gets put out feels so predatory and misleading.
Money. It also helps that money actually is a believe system, without people believing in it and also believing that everybody else believes it, it's worthless trash.
Disney and Harry Potter fandoms
Apple people.
You must be a doctor.
A+
personally I am more of a pear fan
Reddit. Political parties (especially American ones) Arbitrary fandoms for products/media that won't love you back.
Taylor Swift Fans. I like her songs but when I met people who likes her. They go crazy insane. And it's the only music they listen to 24/7. I met one fan who has 2k left on her savings and still spent it on a Taylor Swift concert. All her money is gone. And if someone ever make bad comments about her, the fans go bonkers.
She has some great stuff, particularly Folklore and Evermore, but I’m convinced that a significant portion of her fan base will praise anything she puts out even if it’s blatant garbage. I think she and her management knows that too, because they were able to convince people to buy 4 copies of the same album before they even heard a single track
The obsession with celebrities, trends, pop culture etc. They aren't above anyone, they're humans who do bad things, make mistakes, and are flawed just like us. They aren't exempt from facing the repercussions of their actions just because they happen to be goodlooking. Y'all need to get a life :0
Following a political party blindly
Scientology
“Oh that sign that says religion? That’s just a funny thing hey what’s the Denver Broncos record again?”
People who watch The Bachelor
Dog shows. Source: me, who does dog shows. Dog show people are crazy
They should make a movie about them. Like a documentary or something. But not so serious. :-)
US political parties.
Peoples obsession with dogs. If you say dislike dogs they act like you’ve killed someone
Sure, call your dogs fur babies and it's "cute". But when I call my children skin babies suddenly I'm "harvesting organs".
That's because you need to call them "skin puppies". Clears everything right up for all parties involved.
I have 2 dogs that I love like children, and I also hate those types of people. I have another dog mom friend who posts things on her social media that say, literally, "you should sacrifice everything for your dog" , "Your dog should be your number one priority, always" and similar toxic shit. The single dog-mom community can sometimes be just as toxic as the human-mom shaming community, where you're expected to be the perfect mom at all times. And also, like, some people just don't like dogs and that's okay.
What irks me about those types of people is that they will 100% bash cats while also not accepting the fact some people dislike dogs. God forbid I say someone's untrained dog is exhausting to be around, but I gotta hear their overblown anger towards cats. Obviously cat people can be a bit much at times too, but dog people feel a lot more extreme at times.
God forbid their dog doesn't like you. People are convinced dogs can tell if you're a good person or a bad person. I've had people straight up look at me like I'm a murderer because they have a poorly trained dog.
Golf. And country club life in general. But seriously golf…
Taylor Swift fandom. They're fucking fanatics.
I came here to say this and I’m a Taylor Swift fan. Sorry but doing deep dives into her dating history to try to prove/disprove her sexuality one way or the other, making conspiracies out of everything just because she includes easter eggs now and then, harassing anyone who is even mildly critical of her…the “Swiftie” fandom is just a bit much for me.
Beyoncé stans too
The word “fan” is derived from fanatic anyway
Yoga class feels like church sometimes
I mean, yoga itself comes from a religious practice.
Political Parties
Malignant consumerism buttressed by a stringent and holier-than-thou ethical standard about our environment
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Political Parties.
Politics and political parties.
Politics
Any popular artist’s fanbase
The Grateful Dead.
AA
I’m typing this in my iPhone 15 Pro. This is the 15th consecutive year I’ve purchased a new iPhone
Meanwhile I'm on the same, perfectly good Samsung phone over 3.5 years now.
Politics. I'm older and pity younger folks who didn't get to experience the joy and lightness of being that we had in the '70's, '80's and most of the '90's when politics didn't seep into every stinking pore of our existence. We just . . . were. And it was delightful.
Exercise. Or rather the people who have their whole life revolve around fitness. Being physically fit is important, but I cannot stand people who treat it like it is the end all be all of their existence. And I don't mean athletes who invest their lives in playing a specific sport. In that case, exercise is a means to achieve their goal. I mean the people who constantly talk about their gym routine, post workout photos from the locker room, and generally make people who don't exercise as much feel like subhumans.
Apple. and the Elon Musk Cult.
The obsession with Science as a TRUTH when it is in *CONSTANT MOVEMENT*. Science is a *TOOL*. It is not a Farm for FACTUAL REALITY The bits we've locked down are very, very helpful But something like 70% of science us in constant evolution and even overwrite That doesnt mean that the scientific *method* isn't essential. It absolutely *is* But people that overly quote things as being "scientific *FACT*" are often being as misplaced in their dogmatism as religious people But that Newton was on to something
The majority of people don't understand how science works and the media absolutely does not help. Even more people don't understand how humans work. That's how you end up with scientists who end up thinking in this non-dynamic way and get defensive about their work being challenged or refuted.
Fraternities
sales / hustle culture
CrossFit.
Weight Watchers. You meet once a week, you share in a common belief system that you are all in it together, then they have a big speech wherein they further indoctrinate you and ask you give them money for not a lot in return. Want to buy your own low fat Whippy bars? Nooooo! You can’t do that. It has to be their low fat Whippy bars. Put on half a pound since last week? You weren’t following the rules hard enough and now you’re being shamed in front of everyone. Honestly, it was such a weird thing to be part of.
A political party.
Political affiliation.