Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda MontellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell has been on the reading list since it came out. Now was the perfect time to read it because I just finished a whole slew of documentaries on various cultish groups. I find "cults" fascinating because I am interested in what makes people do the things they do. I already knew that language plays a big part in that. But Cultish isn't just about cults and the language they use. It is about our current use of the word "cult" to mean a whole host of things, bad and good. Montell covers some groups that you might not think of as cults, but the way they behave are certainly cult-adjacent. Multilevel marketing (MLMs) schemes are not the first thing you think of when you hear cult but breaking down how they operate and the language they use makes you start to think differently about that assumption. I also really enjoyed learning about SoulCycle because even though Montell is not saying they are a cult, you can see how certain language can have a strong influence on groups. It will definitely make you more aware as a consumer.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment