Let’s talk about you, and me.
By BoJenn
AI gave a wonderful insightful list of cultish behaviors when their negativity is unfolding, and this is AI’s list. Let’s review them in a second.
AI says this about those who follow a cult. Please read carefully.
All humans have followed people or beliefs that are centered in cult politics and practices.
When I was a born again Christian, I did many of these traits and would have lied to protect my religious points of view, and I know that it’s true of many of them now…just like I would have done when I was under its wave of beliefs.
Read this and examine your own behavioral acting out issues, or your defenses. It’s time for us to become transparent. Find yourself in these behaviors, and only find you, and no one else.
AI Says This…
🔥 Behavioral Traits When Angry in Defense of a Cult Leader
- Blind Loyalty (Authoritarian Defense)
• They may speak in absolutes:
“He’s the only one who tells the truth!”
“Everyone else lies or is deceived.”
• They refuse to allow any critique of the leader. Even gentle questioning may be met with hostility.
• They often parrot phrases or doctrine without critical thought. - Projection and Accusation
• They might attack the questioner, accusing them of being:
• Evil, spiritually blind, jealous, or “working for the enemy”
• Part of the system, Satan, deep state, etc.
• They project their own fears outward:
“You’re trying to destroy the truth!” - Gaslighting
• Denying clear facts or rewriting events to protect the leader’s image.
• If the leader has committed harm, the follower may say:
“That never happened” or “He did it for a higher purpose.” - Spiritual Condemnation
• They might issue threats of divine punishment:
“God will judge you!”
“You’re cursed for speaking against him!”
• This is common in cults with apocalyptic or religious overtones. - Mimicking the Leader’s Speech and Attitude
• Many followers take on the tone, gestures, or arrogance of their leader.
• When angry, this can come across as sneering superiority or righteous indignation. - Emotional Meltdowns or Rage
• Explosive outbursts: yelling, weeping, threats
• Sometimes a dramatic switch from calm devotion to fury—especially when they feel the leader is being “blasphemed” - Groupthink and Mob Defense
• If they’re not alone, they may close ranks instantly.
• Group chanting, shouting, or synchronized defenses can occur.
• Public shunning or targeting of the critic is possible. - Paranoia
• They may accuse you of being part of a conspiracy:
“You’ve been sent to infiltrate us.”
“You’re part of the system they warned us about!” - Dehumanization
• They may refer to critics as “non-believers,” “outsiders,” “sheep,” “infidels,” or “bots”
• Dehumanization allows them to feel justified in mistreating or ignoring others
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🧠 Why This Happens:
• The cult member has merged their identity with the leader. Criticizing the leader feels like a personal attack.
• Many are under emotional, spiritual, or psychological captivity—they’re defending their only source of safety or meaning.
• They’ve been conditioned to react this way, often through repetition, fear, or social pressure.
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If you’ve seen or experienced this firsthand, you’re likely witnessing cult trauma in motion. It’s not just loyalty—it’s survival in their minds.
Me:
How many of these traits do we use in order to get our way? We don’t have to be in a cult to manipulate.
Something to consider. All children were never “ours” though we women bore them. No, they came through us, but they were never ours to own. When we manipulate, we do damage. We’ve all done some of these kind of damages, and it’s time for us to look at our manipulations and examine ourselves. It’s untruthful and needs to stop. We don’t own our children. We never did.
This is a hard lesson. No apologies from me, as it’s my lesson to.
AI adds this:
When people talk about cult traits, the most widely accepted model is Dr. Steven Hassan’s BITE Model, which breaks down cult control into four categories:
🔹 BITE Model: Four Domains of Control
1. Behavior Control
Dictating daily routines—sleep, diet, dress, living arrangements, and relationships—and often imposing rigid rules, rewards, or punishments to shape obedience .
2. Information Control
Restricting access to external media, suppressing dissenting views, deception about the group’s true nature, and discouraging contact with critics or former members .
3. Thought Control
Encouraging black-and-white thinking, discouraging critical questions, indoctrinating members to adopt the group’s reality map as absolute truth .
4. Emotional Control
Using tactics like love‑bombing, guilt‑tripping, fear induction, and repeating rituals to foster emotional dependency .
Hassan proposes that once a group exerts substantial control in one domain, the others typically follow, knitting together a tightly controlled environment . He frames the psychological process in three stages: “unfreeze” (breaking the existing identity), “change” (indoctrination), and “refreeze” (solidifying a new cult identity with allegiance to leadership) .
🧩 Other Key Trait Patterns
Centralized Leadership & Malignant Narcissism
Most high-control groups have a pyramid leadership structure dominated by a highly charismatic (often narcissistic or pathological) leader who is viewed as the sole authority and commands unquestioned loyalty .
Psychological Dependence & Glassy-Eyed Stare
Psychologist Steve Taylor calls this “abdication syndrome”—followers relinquish autonomy, adopt a glassy, trance-like demeanor, and obey with little to no critical thinking .
Identity Suppression & Isolation
Former members frequently report loss of personal identity, separation from family/friends, enforced dependency, and social isolation designed to ensure conformity and obedience .
⚡ What Cult Traits Are Often Covered in Discussions like the “Cult Traits” Blog?
While I can’t confirm the blog’s exact content, these themes are commonly covered:
Charismatic control through emotional manipulation. Behavior and lifestyle regulation (diet, sleep, relationships). Monopolization of information, including censorship and rewriting narrative. Thought control via doctrine enforcement and discouraging questioning. Emotional manipulation: guilt, fear, love‑bombing, dependency. Rigid hierarchy with centralized authority. Psychological dependency, identity replacement, and isolation.
These align closely with the BITE framework and modern psychological research on cult dynamics.
Lots of information for us to think about.
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