Everything's a cult now
The Gray Area with Sean Illing
Identity Defined by Negation in Cult-like Behaviors
The shift from fandom to cult membership occurs when identity is defined by what one is not rather than what one is. Cult-like behaviors are characterized by followers being asked to distrust mainstream sources, which is observed in Tucker Carlson's fandom compared to Taylor Swift's fanbase. Cults often involve costly signaling, where a member must pay a price in some form to be part of the group, a common feature across various cult-like settings like terrorism, military, religion, and crime gangs.
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