Goals Of A Cult Essay

The goals of cults focus on the needs of the cult leader and it often takes a lot out of the members who seek to provide it to them to get acceptance or approval from the leader. Largely the goals of cults can’t be pinned down due to the goals being dependent on the desires of the leader. After the initial goal of the leader which is almost always control the goals can vary too widely to really be classified as a “cult goal” since many of them, such as money, power, or sex, are goals for individual people or even non-cult groups. The primary goal that seems to set cults apart from other groups is the leader’s need for authoritarian control over those that follow them and that is the only goal each cult has in common consistently. When it comes to recruitment and cult indoctrination there is a myriad of techniques that have been reportedly used. But before all of that, who is susceptible to cult influence? Well, most scarily, it’s found

In fact, only about 5 or 6 percent of cult members had mental health issues before joining a cult. Cults also do not target those who are having psychological issues. “Cults don't want, and don't recruit, people with psychological problems or physical handicaps--they represent a loss rather than a gain of cult-oriented productivity. Cults prefer intelligent, productive individuals who are able to contribute money and talent to "the cause," whatever it may be”2 Often cults exploit situational issues and then cement their control by a strong environmental influence. Situational issues could be “loneliness (as experienced by someone who has recently moved to a new location); depression (as we feel after a failed relationship); and uncertainty about