Rick Ross

But in my experience, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And so that leader, that Keith Raniere, that Jim Jones, who has no accountability, will ultimately use that power in a destructive way. Wow.

But in my experience, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And so that leader, that Keith Raniere, that Jim Jones, who has no accountability, will ultimately use that power in a destructive way. Wow.

But in my experience, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And so that leader, that Keith Raniere, that Jim Jones, who has no accountability, will ultimately use that power in a destructive way. Wow.

I think that many cult leaders were themselves at one time either in a group that was cult-like, or they read about cults, or they read about thought reform and coercive persuasion. I mean, the books are available. I mean, you know, they can compile a kind of manual, and what you see is they copy from other cult leaders and incorporate and create a composite, like Keith Ranieri did with NXIVM.

I think that many cult leaders were themselves at one time either in a group that was cult-like, or they read about cults, or they read about thought reform and coercive persuasion. I mean, the books are available. I mean, you know, they can compile a kind of manual, and what you see is they copy from other cult leaders and incorporate and create a composite, like Keith Ranieri did with NXIVM.

I think that many cult leaders were themselves at one time either in a group that was cult-like, or they read about cults, or they read about thought reform and coercive persuasion. I mean, the books are available. I mean, you know, they can compile a kind of manual, and what you see is they copy from other cult leaders and incorporate and create a composite, like Keith Ranieri did with NXIVM.

which was a composite of Scientology, Ayn Rand, well-established large group awareness training techniques. So what you see over and over again with cult leaders is they don't reinvent the wheel. They just copy. and then they create a composite, and then they have their own group. The names change, but the techniques are the same.

which was a composite of Scientology, Ayn Rand, well-established large group awareness training techniques. So what you see over and over again with cult leaders is they don't reinvent the wheel. They just copy. and then they create a composite, and then they have their own group. The names change, but the techniques are the same.

which was a composite of Scientology, Ayn Rand, well-established large group awareness training techniques. So what you see over and over again with cult leaders is they don't reinvent the wheel. They just copy. and then they create a composite, and then they have their own group. The names change, but the techniques are the same.

It's interesting, you can deprogram a cult member, but you cannot deprogram a cult leader. A cult leader is inherently, typically, a psychopath, a sociopath, a malignant narcissist. They were... quite literally, it seems to me, born that way. I mean, Keith Raniere was terrorizing children when he was 10, according to reports and interviews. So it's almost like these people are hardwired.

It's interesting, you can deprogram a cult member, but you cannot deprogram a cult leader. A cult leader is inherently, typically, a psychopath, a sociopath, a malignant narcissist. They were... quite literally, it seems to me, born that way. I mean, Keith Raniere was terrorizing children when he was 10, according to reports and interviews. So it's almost like these people are hardwired.

It's interesting, you can deprogram a cult member, but you cannot deprogram a cult leader. A cult leader is inherently, typically, a psychopath, a sociopath, a malignant narcissist. They were... quite literally, it seems to me, born that way. I mean, Keith Raniere was terrorizing children when he was 10, according to reports and interviews. So it's almost like these people are hardwired.

You cannot deprogram them. And you cannot deprogram someone, Sean, that has sincerely held beliefs. So if we see someone that we don't agree with, maybe we don't agree with their politics, maybe we don't agree with their religious point of view, it's not fair to just say, oh, you're brainwashed. You need to be deprogrammed. Because we need to realize that people have sincerely held beliefs.

You cannot deprogram them. And you cannot deprogram someone, Sean, that has sincerely held beliefs. So if we see someone that we don't agree with, maybe we don't agree with their politics, maybe we don't agree with their religious point of view, it's not fair to just say, oh, you're brainwashed. You need to be deprogrammed. Because we need to realize that people have sincerely held beliefs.

You cannot deprogram them. And you cannot deprogram someone, Sean, that has sincerely held beliefs. So if we see someone that we don't agree with, maybe we don't agree with their politics, maybe we don't agree with their religious point of view, it's not fair to just say, oh, you're brainwashed. You need to be deprogrammed. Because we need to realize that people have sincerely held beliefs.

and that even though we may not agree with those beliefs, that doesn't mean that they're brainwashed. Instead, we should respect the differences that other people have and recognize how thought reform, coercive persuasion works to the extent that we can say, well, did that person arrive at those beliefs

and that even though we may not agree with those beliefs, that doesn't mean that they're brainwashed. Instead, we should respect the differences that other people have and recognize how thought reform, coercive persuasion works to the extent that we can say, well, did that person arrive at those beliefs

and that even though we may not agree with those beliefs, that doesn't mean that they're brainwashed. Instead, we should respect the differences that other people have and recognize how thought reform, coercive persuasion works to the extent that we can say, well, did that person arrive at those beliefs

through a process where that was just their family, that was their life, they truly believed this, or were they in a totalitarian controlling group that used thought reform and coercive persuasion to bend them to the will of the leadership? I mean, these are different things.

through a process where that was just their family, that was their life, they truly believed this, or were they in a totalitarian controlling group that used thought reform and coercive persuasion to bend them to the will of the leadership? I mean, these are different things.