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A review by cat_rector
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
5.0
Honestly, this book should probably be taught in schools at age 13 in a class called Media Literacy.
The most interesting part of this for me wasn't about the cults as we tend to think of them—deeply harmful cults like Jonestown or Scientology—but the everyday cultish behaviour fitness, social media, and the way we talk to each other.
The single greatest tool this book has given me is the idea of thought-halting phrases. Now that I know it, I'll never stop hearing it. Phrases like "it is what it is" or "God has a plan for you" that halt a conversation, make it hard to push for more depth, and invite the person to stop arguing. The author gives plenty of examples of more insidious versions of this, but I can see it in so many facets of my everyday life.
If you're striving to be more aware of your surroundings in the social world, or you have an interest in how language makes people believe things, this book will likely be interesting for you.
The most interesting part of this for me wasn't about the cults as we tend to think of them—deeply harmful cults like Jonestown or Scientology—but the everyday cultish behaviour fitness, social media, and the way we talk to each other.
The single greatest tool this book has given me is the idea of thought-halting phrases. Now that I know it, I'll never stop hearing it. Phrases like "it is what it is" or "God has a plan for you" that halt a conversation, make it hard to push for more depth, and invite the person to stop arguing. The author gives plenty of examples of more insidious versions of this, but I can see it in so many facets of my everyday life.
If you're striving to be more aware of your surroundings in the social world, or you have an interest in how language makes people believe things, this book will likely be interesting for you.