Braising

Imagine you're recently divorced, feeling lost and isolated. This was supposed to be your "forevership," but it just didn’t work out. Your friends aren’t really there for you, and you're struggling. One day, a persistent friend suggests volunteering at a soup kitchen, saying it'll be good for you. You’re hesitant, but you go along with it. The driver sent to pick you up talks about how amazing the group is, making you feel a little hopeful.

When you arrive, they tell you something simple but profound—that just by showing up, you’re going to change someone’s life. You start feeling good about it and return the next week. They promise to introduce you to the group’s founder, and when you finally meet, you click instantly. The founder is warm, charismatic, and seems to genuinely care. They’re everything you’ve been missing, and suddenly, you feel like you’ve found a new purpose. But what you don't realize is —you’ve just joined a cult.

I've always been both fascinated and fearful of group-think. Whether it’s in religious movements, social media, political factions, or cults, there’s a dangerous allure in the surrender to collective thought. It’s easy to lose your independent thinking when you're swept up in a community that offers comfort, especially when you're at a low point. And questioning the group’s direction or its leaders? That’s usually not allowed. The cost of joining can be subtle at first—time, money, relationships —but there's always a price.

People searching for stability in chaotic lives often find themselves pulled into these groups. No matter how smart or independent you think you are, if you're disillusioned enough, even the strongest minds can fall prey to the influence of a cult.