Is it Lord of the Flies? The MAGA Playbook? Or the Zombie Apocalypse? Cult Building 101.
If you make it so simple that no one has to think about it, they'll go along. Lock. Stock. And bloody barrel.
You might call them boys. They were stranded, alone, plopped down on a deserted island far from the calming voice of any adults. So they bond together, creating a method of rule and discussion and elect leaders. They pass a conch shell back and forth, sharing power for a brief moment, as the holders of the shell spoke and voiced ideas. Everyone else listened.
Until they didn’t. Until fear spread. Until the conch shell became a shattered symbol lying in the mud and splattered with blood.
This is the basic plot of the classic, ‘Lord of the Flies.’ Boys get stranded. They band together, share their power, unite together with a shared vision. Then they splinter. A second group is formed based upon fear. They’re led by a charismatic leader that demands loyalty. He builds rituals. He brings his followers together to dance and chant and connect as a group.
And in these gatherings he spins his tales. He attacks the leadership of the other group. Calls them incompetent and weak. He shows them how he’ll protect them from the ‘beast.’ He prepares them. They chant his name and call for blood and practice violence.
They paint their faces and become something else. Frenzied. Feral. They wouldn’t recognize themselves if they looked in a mirror or took a moment to contemplate. Loyalty is all that matters. So they follow along with their leader. They become more. Violent. Assured in the righteousness of their group.
They barrel along filled with fear, and mythology, with little understanding or care that they’ve been manipulated.
They just want to belong. They want to be safe. And they don’t want to think about the dangers of the future.
Red-hat Wearing Zombies, Despots, Totalitarian Regimes, and Brand-Builders All Use the Same Tactics. Creation, Control, and Manipulation of Information.
Stories connect us. It’s been the same since we sat around campfires and shared stories of our hunts. Information is burdensome. It requires thought. And the truth is even more complicated. It’s facts and details and maybe even a list or two. But we don’t remember lists or facts. Not really. We cherry pick.
But a story? Aww, those we remember. We share. It’s in our very nature to remember long, well crafted stories especially those designed to bond us together.
So we’re easy to manipulate. We want to be ‘in the know.’ We want to be a part of the group. It’s in our DNA to join because being a part of the group meant safety and survival.
So how’s it done? Why is this manufactured loyalty so powerful?
The How of It and the Power of It
In ‘Lord of the Flies,’ Ralph is elected the leader. He seems thoughtful and focused on the long term goal of being rescued. He creates a system where all have a voice. And it works in the beginning. It seems boring though, this maintaining order, and keeping a signal fire lit, and sharing power. But they plod along, day-to-day.
Jack wants to lead. He asks for a vote and loses. The guys stick with Ralph. Jack heads into the woods shouting and screaming that he’ll start his own group. And he systematically begins to breakdown Ralph, their group, and order. He gets a few followers. He creates a few rituals. Gets a few more. He creates a sense of unity, and fear, and obedience. Obedience because in obedience is safety and protection against the ‘beast.’ You’re one of the guys. And therefore safe.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Stupid ideas are just that, stupid. Lies are just that, lies. They are relatively harmless until they gain followers. Followers create momentum where there was none. And the first step to creating loyalty is to create a simple, repeatable, mantra that will unite the group. The group needs a focus. They need an enemy either real or imagined.
It’s the beast, the beast, the beast.
It’s the economy, the economy, the economy.
It’s immigrants, immigrants, immigrants.
Doesn’t have to be true. Lies work better than the truth. The truth is layered and nuanced. Lies are simple and straight forward. Easy to spread. Just keep repeating it. Over and over again. The group will believe it eventually. They’ll fight for it. They’ll defend it. They’ll make it apart of their identity.
This was Jack’s first step. Create an atmosphere of fear built on a lie. He created the myth of the ‘beast.’ He repeated it over and over.
Then he set about bonding the group together and reinforcing the lie.
First Step of a Cult Leader: Eliminate the Individual
Face Painting: Jack and his group began to paint their faces. This face painting separated them from non-followers. It created a distinct identity for the group. It separated them from themselves. They were unrecognizable to each other as individuals. And they left the ‘civilized’ group, they left Ralph’s group of law and order forever behind.
It's amazing what you can do when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror any more. - a tagline from Hollow Man
This visual bonding can be seen throughout most groups seeking control. It’s a red hat with a catchy slogan. It’s a head shaved bald. It’s a crooked cross slapped on buttons, and flags, and arm bands. It’s visual proof that you are not alone.
And the group grows. It’s all about separating the group from reality. It’s about creating an “Us against Them.”
Chanting and Dancing: Jack called the boys to gather. He led them in dance. He led them in chants. They danced half-naked, shaking spears, and chanting “Kill the beast! Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” and the words become a mantra. They become a powerful unifying cry.
These gatherings, these rallies, are used to stoke emotional fervor and create a collective unity among the followers. It proves loyalty. Join in the dancing and the chanting surrounded by crazed devotees all singing the mantra. It’s, “Lock her up!, Lock her up!, Lock her up!"
It feels good to belong. It feels good to be surrounded by people that look like you and sound like you and scream like you.
An Offering: Jack begins to build ceremonies around the group. They cut off the head of a pig and mount it on a spear. They parade it around. Then they leave the pig head as an offering to the beast. It’s a ritual meant to instill fear. And loyalty. It positions Jack as the leader. He’s the only one that can appease the ‘beast.’ He’s the only one that can protect them. He’s the only one that can stop wars or lower prices or stop ‘runaway’ judges.
First you create the fear. Then you put yourself forward as the only one that can stop the source of the fear.
It’s despot training 101 used by the Hitlers, and the Mussolini’s, and the Tech Bro’s of history. You create the fear. You blame everyone else but yourself for the fear. And you present yourself as the one-and-only God that can save your followers from the beast.
Mock Hunts and Violence: Jack has to desensitize his followers to violence. He describes the beast in gory detail. He talks about how it stalks them and hunts them while they sleep. He’s seen it. It lusts for blood. This imaginary beast becomes real.
He orchestrates mock hunts. Boys are treated like prey and the mob hunts them through the jungle with faces painted and spears sharpened. They stab at things. They scream at things. They pretend to kill things.
And a boy from Ralph’s group stumbles into their hunting mob. But they do not see a young boy. They see the beast and they stab him, over and over, and dance ‘round his pierced body.
It’s sending your followers off to the Capital. First, you create an emotional frenzy and then you give them a target. It starts with verbal attacks and then blame and then stoking fear in rallies and then pointing fingers. Go here. Hunt here.
Is There a Solution to All of This?
Maybe. But we’re easy to manipulate. And today, the tools available are easier to use and they reach larger audiences. Messages spread faster and reach millions at the press of a button.
Jack knew that the beast wasn’t out there in the jungle hunting us. He knew he could create a story and a mythology of a beast and use the fear to program his followers into a cohesive group. There wasn’t a beast in the woods. The beast is within us. And it’s this fear within us that is easy to manipulate.
“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us.”
― Simon, from the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.
This is a huge and scary problem. It seems insurmountable. And maybe on a macro scale their is little a single individual can do. But there is hope. Yes, go to your demonstrations if you wish. Raise your signs and shout for justice. Let your voice be heard. But be careful. These are the same tactics used by cult leaders.
Don’t stop asking questions.
What do we do? Start small. Educate yourself. Learn and study about democracy. Educate yourself. Please. Then get involved. Start local. Get involved in your school, or group, or city politics. Learn a communication method that works for you. Write. Speak. Make videos. Win some local battles and build your group.
Next up? Same program but focus on your county. Then your state. Then your country. Continue to educate yourself and grow. Learn which methods are effective and which are not. Remember it’s about making change.
Need some help with this? Try RepresentUS. It’s non-party affiliated and dedicated to restoring our democracy. It’s loaded with valuable information. Accurate, reliably sourced information.
It’s a good start.
Think about it…
Do we have a ‘beast’ within us? Are we still just one poke away from descending into savagery? Are we willing to share our power or will we always descend into a centralized power group or worse individual?
“Civilization is but a thin veneer stretched across the passions of the human heart. And civilization doesn't just happen; we have to make it happen.”
―Bill Moyers
Again and again. It’s a battle worth fighting.
Do it…
Read it: Common Sense and the Rights of Man by Thomas Paine - This will be a re-read but it’s been awhile. Can’t even remember whether I liked it, or agreed with it, or thought it was a load of crap. Seems relevant though.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - I know. It’s a little bit of a heavy reading list this month. But I’ve been thinking about this stuff a lot. This one is a critical read. And you’re going to be asking yourself - in the months to come - how the hell we got ourselves into this economic mess. This is a good starting point.
Why and How Capitalism Needs to Be Reformed by Ray Dalio - Important read. It’s an article not a book. Ray Dalio is a thoughtful man. Don’t always agree with him but I always respect him. He’s extremely well researched and sourced. He’s factual. You can count on him to be truthful. The takeaways are up to you. This should be a must read.
(Yes, usually my book recommendations are affiliate links. I don’t use Amazon links. Why? Well, it’s Amazon for one thing but really I just like to support local businesses and book stores. I use Bookshop.org. They kick back a part of the purchase price to local bookstores. SO maybe it costs a $1 more than you could get it at Amazon but to me it’s worth it. Support local book stores. They’re a critical part of a free society.)
Watch it: The Gorge. Really it’s just an old-fashion monster movie. The chemistry between the stars is great. The ‘monsters’ are creepy. And it’s just fun. Lots of bang-bang.
If you want to check out some great reading list and see which books have influenced, surprised, educated, and entertained me, check out my book shop here. The lists grow monthly and I don’t recommend any books I haven’t personally read. Or use my book recommendation engine and specific author chatbots. Check it out. It’s fun.