Ten Questions for Cult Recruiters From Steve Hassan Combatting Cult Mind Control
Ten Questions for Cult Recruiters
From Steve Hassan Combatting Cult Mind Control
These questions work best if you ask them in a very direct yet friendly manner, and demand very specific answers.
If the recruiter doesn’t give a clear, concise, direct answer, something is wrong. And remember: you can always simply walk away. Most of all, though, you will find that the best possible advantage over a cult recruiter is the ability to ask him direct, penetrating questions. The following are some that I have found to be highly effective:
How long have you (the recruiter) been involved with this group? Are you trying to recruit me into any type of organization? If the person has been involved for many years, you can expect them to know and to be able give you concrete, specific answers to all your follow-up questions. If they don’t, you can say, “You’ve been a member for years and you don’t know the answer to such simple questions?” If they say that they are not recruiting you but later they clearly have been, If and when you realize this, be appropriately annoyed and walk away.
Can you tell me the names of all the other organizations that are affiliated with your group? Any question that’s not answered, Ask for their phone number—do not give them yours, of course—and say that you will call them tomorrow for the answer. If the person tells you there are no other organizations, at some later point you may discover that this was a lie. If and when you realize this, be assertively annoyed and leave.
Who is the top leader? Tell me about their background and qualifications. Do they have a criminal record? “How could you have become involved with a group without checking these things out first?” A legitimate group will always give information first, and ask for commitment later, only when you feel ready.
What does your group believe? Does it believe that the ends justify the means? Is deception allowed in any circumstances? If they say that they’re afraid you will misunderstand, if they give you only a short description, ask for it anyway. Any legitimate group will be able to summarize its central beliefs. Destructive cults will not want to do so. If you find out later that this description was a gross distortion filled with inaccuracies, you have every right to be annoyed and leave. The cult members will most assuredly try to convince you that they had to lie to you because you have been brainwashed by the media against them, and you would have never listened if they told the truth. Don’t buy this “ends justify the means” rationalization. No legitimate organization needs to lie to people in order to help them.
What are members expected to do once they join? Do I have to quit school or work, or donate my money and property, or cut myself off from family members and friends who might oppose my membership? What did you do for a living before you joined the group, and what do you do for a living now? If you are being approached by a destructive cult, the person you meet may tell you that you will be expected to do little or nothing once you join. However, this question will make most cult members very uncomfortable and defensive. Watch the recruiter’s non-verbal reaction carefully when you ask this question. Ask the person what they did when they first met the group and what they are doing now.
Is your group considered controversial by anyone? If other people are critical of it, what are their main objections? what are their main objections? These are nicely open-ended questions that allow you to probe just how much the person knows or is willing to discuss. If you ask these questions politely and with a smile, the person may say, “Oh, some people think we’re a cult and that we’re all brainwashed. Isn’t that silly? Do I look brainwashed?” To that question you might respond, “So how are people supposed to look if they are brainwashed?” When I ask that question, the person I’m speaking to usually becomes very uncomfortable and, if I continue to probe, finds some excuse to leave.
How do you feel about former members of your group? Have you ever sat down to speak with a former member to find out why they left the group? If not, why not? Does your group impose restrictions on communicating with former members? This is one of the most revealing sets of questions you can ask. Any legitimate organization would never discourage contact with former members, particularly family and friends. Likewise, any legitimate group would support a member’s right to leave, even though they might not like it. Destructive cults, on the other hand, do not accept any reason for a person’s departure, no matter what it is. Likewise, cult groups make sure to instill fear in members, insuring that they stay away from critics and former members. Although you might hear some experienced cult recruiters say, “Sure, some of my best friends have left,” when you probe further and ask them for specifics, you may find out they have been lying. I always pursue such a response with questions such as “What specific reasons did they give for leaving?” and “Do they say that they are happier now that they have left?” Again, the recruiter is usually at a loss for words.
What are the three things you like least about the group and its leader? It is absurd to expect an objective answer from someone under mind control. A much better challenge for such people would be, “Tell me three things that you don’t like about the group or the leader.” If you get an opportunity to catch a cult member off guard and ask that question, I suggest you watch their face very carefully. The pupils in their eyes will dilate, and they will act momentarily stunned. When they do answer, they will very likely say that there is nothing they can think of that they don’t like. Cult members will generally give some variation on that reply, because they are simply not permitted to talk critically.
What else would you rather do in life than be a member of the group? The answer is likely to be, “Nothing.”
Did you take the time to talk with former members, and read critical literature about the group, before you joined, in order to make up your own mind? Is this something you’d be willing to do now? It’s possible that the person might call your bluff and answer “of course” to the second question. This is fine. If they are in a destructive cult, it’s probably a lie—but if the person does follow through, they will be well on their way out of the group, and you will have done them a favor.
Conclusion: if you decide to go to a meeting, 1) ask other members of the group the same questions, and see if you get consistent answers, and 2) research the group intensively online.
If everything seems to look okay, go to the program with a trusted friend who is both skeptical and assertive. This way you will have someone you trust to discuss what you see and hear. If the group is a destructive cult, at the program, members will try to find some convenient way to separate you from your friend. Resist this. Stick together, and don’t let anyone split you up. Demand to stay with your friend. If you are pressured to conform, or are confronted by group leaders, simply walk out.
If you find yourself in an indoctrination session, stand up and announce loudly that you don’t like being manipulated and controlled. The louder you speak, the faster you will be escorted from the room. Several other people might also jump at the opportunity to leave with you.
Most people don’t like conflict and confrontation, be wise. Many people have been recruited into cults because they were overconfident they could handle themselves in any situation. Curiosity and overconfidence have been the downfall of many people, including me. Placing yourself in a potentially dangerous situation just isn’t worth the risk.
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