Dr. Erica Brozovsky explained how cult leaders use provocatively loaded language with followers to create adversary us vs. them mentalities.

I’m hoping it’s obvious why this is related to politics . . .

Dr. Erica Brozovsky, PhD of the PBS series Otherwords explained how cult leaders use provocatively loaded language with their followers to create an adversarial relationship with the “other side” of their way of thinking – an “us versus them” mentality. It also keeps them invested, obedient, and ready to defend their way of thinking to anyone who questions them

Loaded language is a general term for words or phrases that have deep emotional associations for the listener, like genocide, patriot, toxic, or vermin. …Through repetition, these leaders ingrained an intense emotional association in their follower’s psyche …They shut down argument and critical thinking, which is why they’re so handy to authoritarians who don’t like to be questioned.

  • treefrog@lemm.ee
    5·
    7 days ago

    Depends on what you mean by religion.

    Buddhist monks and nuns shave their heads and don the robes as a ceremonial act of letting go of identity views such as ‘us and them’ and even self and other.

    This and not holding onto dogmatic views in general is a big part of the practice and the teachings.

    Not saying all Buddhists are perfect by any means. I’ve hung out in enough Buddhist online spaces to come across a lot of dogmatism and people using Buddhism itself as an identity view. Myself included when I wasn’t as far along my own path.

    But the intention of the practice is to point these things out and help people to let them go. Not to cling to them.