My weird brag is I have unique and exclusive access to some of the most isolated "cults" in the American West.

I want to do a thread about cults for a second and talk about some observations.

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(2/12) Religious extremists, militias, anti-taxers, Mormon groups, polygamous groups, you name it. In my experience, they all have one thing in common:

(3/12) Cults have many definitions, but the one commonality is veneration of leaders and identity that usually attach themselves to what they see as an exclusive truth. Some wisdom they possess others are missing.

(4/12) "Oh, not me! That's an ugly word. That's a label that belongs to someone else," says most everyone I've ever met in a cult.

(5/12) I don't care what your demographic is, if you can't/won't openly criticize your group/leader, you're probably in a cult. If you are willfully blind to the harm being done by your group to others... well? That's not a good sign.

(6/12) Listen, I've been around a lot of cults- and people in cults will usually have an entire diatribe about how they aren't in a cult. Maybe you're already doing that now in your head.

The word is something everyone likes to use to describe everyone else, except themselves.

(7/12) My entire point is just this: before throwing out the word as a slur, maybe take some time to examine your own beliefs. Your own sacred cows. The things you are so sure about, you're willing to hurt others for.

(8/12) Because the tribal nature of human instinct is competitive. It's insular and protective. We distance ourselves from the harm by thinking we are immune.

We have this idea that if you are in a cult you are a fool. But that's a dangerous deflection.

(9/12) I know incredibly empathetic, smart, emotionally intelligent, philosophical people who are in a cult. Being smart won't save you from this. It's the belief that you are above this sort of thinking that gets a lot of people into trouble.

(10/12) Cult behavior is about group loyalty and we all struggle with that. We all want to belong. We all want to have purpose. In politics, in religion, in sports- we want to fight for things we believe in. I do it, you do it. It's hard-wired in us.

(11/12 ) If you want to avoid cult mentality, then pay attention to how critically you view the voices you admire and follow. There is no perfect, flawless person on this planet. We know this on one level, but we don't want to believe this about our own ideas or leaders.

(12/12) If you aren't able to examine your beliefs, your mindset, your group and their negative impacts- if you try to shut others down who do- you're contributing to cult mindset, and it's even possible- that you belong to a cult.