As Amanda Montell describes in her book Cultish, “Though the stakes and consequences of respective affiliations differ considerably, the methods used to assert power—to create community and solidarity, to establish an ‘us’ and a ‘them,’ to align collective values, to justify questionable behavior, to instill ideology and inspire fear—are uncannily,

All kinds of research points to the idea that humans are social and spiritual by design. Our behavior is driven by a desire for belonging and purpose. We’re “cultish” by nature.