In this episode, our intrepid hosts discuss Amanda Montell's Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. As the title suggests, the book is about the linguistic techniques cults use to shut down critical thinking and encourage compliance. Groups as diverse as Jonestown and CrossFit are covered--and yes, Scientology and MLMs also make an appearance. You will never think of phrases like "it is what it is" in the same way again...which is good, because you were probably overusing them, anyway.

Sources:

"MLMs might not be able to get away with their shady promises much longer" by Emily Stewart for VOX.

Links:

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/pleasestayontopic

https://clarehwang.substack.com/archive

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