How To Identify Cults
Cults all have a few undesirable common traits.
First, they don't respect differences in opinion, they won't take criticism or rejection. They have a 'my way or the highway' mentality.
A lot of times too, cults have a victim complex, that is they have the notion that they are and have always been the victim, the only victim. Lastly, the cults often have a savior complex, they believe they hold the magical formula that can save the world.
Generally, there are two types of Cults, Religious & Political.
Religious Cults
No need to spell them out. Jewish Zionists, Muslim Brotherhood or Islamists are the ones am familiar with. You may also say Abrahamic religious communities like Muslims, Jews, Christians are cults because these communities have cult like mentality on a sectarian level.
Sunnism is a cult. If you spend time as a Quranist on r/Islam subreddit, you will see that they constantly express the traits I've mentioned - intolerance to dissenting opinion, victim complex & savior complex.
Political Cults
Oh dear. Until 2019 I didn't even thinks these were real. I used to think the problem is religious cults, think that if we got rid of them, we'll all be on the same page. Examples of political cults are left & right wing political parties & their hardcore supporters especially in the west.
Socialists, communists, marxists, feminists, anti-feminists, anti-racists, race hustlers & the manosphere. All these are cults, more powerful & toxic than religious cults.
How Cults Harm You
i - They practically distract you and waste your time on controversies.
If you get caught up in these cults, you can waste several productive hours or days hooked on social media listening to them. Every week, every day, they have a new gist for you on the latest hate crime or the latest conspiracy of their evil opponents. So much so that, you waste your time sympathizing with them, instead of dealing with your own immediate problems.
ii - They Spew Half-truth & Misleading Information
Since they live in echo chambers that don't allow for differences in opinion, they're ignorant of half the facts. You may take these half-truth from them thinking you know enough on the subject. But half-truth is dangerous. A person who knows nothing is better off than a person who knows half the truth but thinks they know everything.
iii - They Rob You Of Your Money
A number of cultists are in it for the money - the leaders, figureheads or commentators. Sometimes they believe in the cult mission, but often times they couldn't care less about it. They'll ask you donate to their cause so that they don't have to get a regular job but live off donation.
Even if you're not donating directly from your purse, organizations & corporations that you financially support may donate to these cults, your government tax fund the cults. Practically, they're scams.
iv - They Fill You With Anxiety & Depression
In order for the cults to stay relevant, they're constantly seeking out the next evil or villain in the world that they need to fight. It boils down to their victim and savior complex. If you keep listening to the cults, their persistent alarmism & hysteria will begin to take it toll on your psyche.
Like the cultists, you will grow with paranoia, you will suffer with irritability or frustration, & you may even become demoralized.
How To Protect Your Mind From Cults
I - Educate Yourself
Don't rely on mainstream media, social media, schools or scholars to acquire knowledge. Read books, listen to alternative media, & do research. If you educate yourself on a subject, cults can't sway your opinion with a single incident or false information.
II - Divest Yourself From Mainstream Media(MSM) & Wikipedia
CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Gulf News, Fox News, BBC, Washington Post - These are no longer news outlets, they are media arms of the cults. They spread cult propaganda and indoctrinate their viewers or listeners. Only resort to MSM to learn what the MSM is reporting to the masses, not to learn the truth.
Plus, if you go to the Mosque on Fridays, beware of the Sermon before the salat. It may the equivalent of CNN or BBC where the speaker is just misinforming people on doctrines or a recent incident. Personally, I've stopped going to the mosque. Qur'anists won't build a mosque & the Muslim cults reign in every mosque that I enter.
III - Minimize or Terminate Your Social Media Presence
Social media is a haunting ground for cultists. Once you're on social media, you're already exposed to the cults. It takes only one recommended/viral tweet or video even if you never associate with the cultists. And before you know it you're already caught in their propaganda and ideas.
If you must use social media, fiddle & adjust the settings to screen out cult content from your recommendation feed. But seriously get off social media if you can. It is a very inadequate & antisocial way to socialize.
IV - Cut Back On Entertainment Media
Cults, especially liberal political cults sneak or shove their message into Entertainment media - Movies, Musics, Art & Literature. It gets so overt that it is ruins the mood. In any case, consuming Entertainment media exposes your mind to the cult. You may want to screen your entertainment before consuming them, especially the movies.
V - Cultivate & invest your free time in hobbies or personal skills
Art, Music, Writing etc. are worth investing all those spare hours than listening to dealing with the cults and their ideas. A lot of people fall into cults because they're just bored with their lives and looking for something engaging. In that state, inflammatory cult ideas easily pique their interest & they're consumed.