One of the first tactic cults employ is making their members feel unique or especially victimized, while portraying outsiders as misguided, wrong, or even malevolent. This creates an immediate barrier against external influence, causing the group to become insular and self-reinforcing. Ironically, when outsiders respond with mockery, anger, or attempts to shame the group, it strengthens the cult’s protective bubble. These reactions serve as validation of the cult leader’s warnings about the outside world.
Cult leaders are often aware of this dynamic. They may start behaving erratically, weaving grand conspiracy theories, or acting abusively, which naturally alarms those on the outside. However, this only intensifies the criticism and outcry from outsiders, which in turn deepens the followers’ loyalty to the leader and the group. It creates a vicious cycle where both sides are trapped. Some followers may eventually leave when the leader’s behavior becomes too extreme, but others become more devoted, driven by empathy or concern for the leader, or by a heightened sense of distrust and hostility towards outsiders.
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Cult members often justify their leader’s breakdown by viewing them as a divine figure or by blaming external forces for pushing them over the edge. This perception reinforces the leader’s central role within the cult. As Hannah Arendt describes, at the core of such movements sits the leader, surrounded by an elite inner circle that cultivates an air of mystery, adding to the sense of omnipotence. This inner circle is kept unstable through strategic manipulation, further deepening the group’s dependence on the leader.
A key aspect of cult ideology, as noted by Newman, is its presentation as a “historical totality” without a clear beginning or end. This self-contained belief system, entirely controlled by the leader, fosters confusion and detachment from reality, with even the leader sometimes believing in their own constructed illusions. This aspect, of getting trapped in his own web of deceit is scary!
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The writer is a lawyer, academic and political analyst. She has authored a book titled ‘A Comparative Analysis of Media & Media Laws in Pakistan.’ She can be contacted at: yasmeenali62@gmail.com and tweets at @yasmeen_9
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