The difference between a group and a cult

All cults are groups, but all groups aren't cults. 

It's similar to how all judges are lawyers, but not all lawyers are judges. Lawyers can become judges. Groups can become cults.

Here is the definition of a group that I found online:

A group is a collection of people with some common characteristics or purpose. A group can consist of any number of people. People in groups interact, engage and identify with each other, often at regular or pre-determined times and places.

*group definition taken from this page [click here]

What about cults?

The first thing you see when typing "what is a cult?" or "definition of a cult" is what pops up, courtesy of google:

A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology. It has a belief system that has the answers to all of life’s questions and offers a special solution to be gained only by following the leader’s rules. It requires a high level of commitment from at least some of the members.

*cult definition taken from this page [click here]

I'm no expert on the matter, but as someone who has been in both groups and cults, I can share what I've seen and experienced.

Groups vs cults

Groups can be both big and small. 

Groups function with a purpose. You have all types of groups with all kinds of purposes. For example, you have group therapy, group sports, study groups in school, extracurricular groups, internet groups, i.e. Facebook groups [I personally belong to a Facebook group for cult survivors]. 

*image: group therapy

These are just a few examples. Groups can also be voluntary or involuntary. For instance, a voluntary group can be a hobby group on meetup.com who meets to go hiking once a month. An involuntary group can occur when your professor assigns students together to work on a group presentation. 

For this discussion, we're talking about voluntary groups.

And of course, a church or religion is a main type of group that is based on religious or spiritual beliefs.

So, the objective being proposed is: when you encounter a group you want to join [or you're currently part of a group], it's important to evaluate that group for your own protection. 

When comparing a cult to a group, one can say that a cult is a toxic group. Any group can become a cult if the group is not careful. That's why internal checks and balances are so important. 

A cult is a toxic group. ANY group can become a cult if the group is not careful.

Cults are abusive power dynamics within a group. For example, if one person holds all the power, it doesn't automatically mean the group is a cult, but the leader of the group displaying cult leader characteristics IS a red flag. All groups have and need leadership. It becomes dangerous when the leader is one person, a messianic figure who can never be questioned and is looked at like a rock star. If the leader thinks he or she is a divine messenger or a deity or has huge delusions of grandeur, and it goes unchecked by the group members, that's a red flag that it is a toxic, dangerous group. 

Important note: If a group calls itself a "movement", run away immediately. Or at least proceed with extreme caution. Movements almost always spell trouble. Cults are often labeled "movements". The cult I was part of for 11 years was called the "modern-day movement of God". 

Why people join groups vs joining cults

People often join groups with the same orientation in common with the group's purpose. So if you're failing math, joining a tutoring group or a study group with other students makes sense. The reason for joining is clear and the group's purpose is also clear.

On the other end, people are recruited into cults. You can't just join a cult. You have to be invited into the fold and then undergo a recruitment process of initiation. People's reason for submitting to the group's indoctrination process is often unclear on a conscious level. If asked, most people aren't aware of what the end game of indoctrination is, nor are they clear on the initiation process itself. They are trusting the guidance of current cult members who already completed the initiation process. 

People JOIN a group. People are RECRUITED into a cult. 

With voluntary groups, you join out of your free will. The goal of the group is transparent. You join a bowling league, you know what you're getting. You join a rock band, you know what the goal is. Joining most groups is pretty straightforward. 

When you leave the group, you can just leave.  People may miss you, sure. They may try and convince you to stay. You may even leave a group on a bad note. But overall, you can join and leave a group as you see fit. The world won't stop. Your life won't be cursed. Your soul will not be lost.

On the other hand, you cannot just leave a cult. You are considered doomed if you stop attending, if you stop adhering to the group's ideology-hell, if you dare question the group's ideology! That is taboo. 

Cult membership is meant to be permanent and is considered one's identity. Groups don't require your very existence to revolve around being a part of that group. If you leave a cult, however, it feels like a battered woman leaving an abusive, alcoholic husband. Healthy groups don't foster such co-dependency. Healthy groups don't demand a constant extraction of all your resources [time, money, energy, etc.]. 

A cult demands to be in control of your life even when you aren't physically with the group. It's a secret society, a closed ecosystem. Healthy groups allow people freedom without all the pressure, manipulation, and coercion. 

With a healthy group, you often are given informed consent about the group's agenda. Depending on the type of group it is, they may need you to read, understand, and sign consent forms. You may need to pay monetary dues. Groups, therefore, are forthcoming about their purpose. A group requires you know what you're getting into. 

A cult, however, is not transparent. You are lured in under some pretense that turns out to not be true or only partially true. For example, a college student getting invited to a pizza night attends only to find it's a group bible study. 

Groups function around a shared purpose while cults function around a person, a personality.

Cults operate on a black-and-white, us vs. them paradigm. You're either with "us" or you're with "them". Either you're an insider or an outsider. You're either "family" or you're an enemy. 

A healthy church group, for example, is okay with people deciding that their church isn't a good fit for them, for whatever reason. A non-cult church leader will tell the person to find a church where they can call home and wish them well. 

Not a cult. A cult will tell you that you're going to hell if you leave their church group. This is one of many examples of the difference between cults and groups.

A group operates on an even playing field. Cults operate on an unequal power differential. The cult members have the power while the recruits do not. The cult is always considered to be superior when compared to outsiders.

Vetting vs. Indoctrination

Also, a group vets potential members. They typically don't target people to join. People find groups they're interested in. On the other end of the spectrum, cults go after people to recruit. The cult will require you to submit to an indoctrination process to join. 

There is a difference between an indoctrination process and a vetting process.

A vetting process is healthy. Depending on the group, new members are vetted using interviews, assessments, resumes. background checks. It is an act of due diligence. 

An indoctrination process is toxic. This process involves force-feeding the new member the group's ideology, which the person must accept and internalize in order to join the group. 

How to identify a cult vs. a group

If you join any group, the first thing to ask is if the group is healthy. Do the group members interact with one another in a toxic manner? All groups have a leader but is there a healthy power differential between the members and leadership? If a group's leader is held in a state of extreme reverence, such as the members talking about the leader as if they are a celebrity and you can't even express doubt or questions about the leader because the group members will jump down your throat, that means you're looking at an unhealthy group, a cult dynamic. 

Also. if there's some kind of mysterious initiation process to be considered a member of the group due to the group's elite exclusivity, then that's a red flag. It should be clear who the group is, what their purpose is and what the end game is. There should be no "bread-crumbing" of information. You should know what comes next and what comes after that. 

Bottom line: If you have to go through a degrading process to be allowed into a group, then you should question if you should be part of that group. Is it really worth it? 

Here's the question: what do you consent to? And is it informed consent? Do you know what you're getting into? Does this group have values that align with your own? Is this group abusive? Is this group elitist? What is the ideology of the group? 

Do you consent to the hazing process of joining a sorority or fraternity? 

Do you consent to the indoctrination process of joining a church?

Do you consent to the murky, manipulative process of joining a multilevel marketing company or pyramid scheme?

Do you consent to the sexual rituals of joining the entertainment industry?

Do you consent to the self-depreciating process of becoming a ballet dancer?

...The list goes on and on...and on.

If a group makes you feel inadequate, like a peon, do you still want to be part of it? Toxic groups prey on people's insecurities and the human need for validation and belonging. In reality, certain groups offer valuable benefits to us, but if you feel that you NEED a group to BE valuable, then that's a problem. 

NO group or entity can make you valuable as a human being. It can look good on your resume, it can be good to network, or to have people to do certain activities with [speaking of voluntary groups here]. But a group should never make you feel like you need them to matter or to exist. 

Nothing wrong with joining a group, as we humans are tribal creatures and joining healthy, productive groups are valuable aspects of life. But go into it self-aware and with intention to get what you want to out of it. Look out for red flags indicating it is a cult and be prepared to back away immediately. 

Do your research on a group and if possible, talk to ex-members and critics of the group to get a more balanced perspective. Good? Good.

Discussion takeaways:

1. All cults are groups, but all groups aren't cults. 

2. A group is a collection of people with some common characteristics or purpose. A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology. 

3. People JOIN a group. People are RECRUITED into a cult. 

4. If you join any group, the first thing to ask is if the group is healthy.

5. If you have to go through a degrading process to be allowed into a group, then you should question if you should be part of that group in the first place.

6. A cult is a toxic group. 

7. ANY group can become a cult if the group is not careful.

8. You can't just join a cult. You have to be invited into the fold and then undergo a recruitment process of initiation.

9. Groups function around a shared purpose while cults function around a person, a personality.

10.  If a group calls itself a "movement", run away immediately. "Movements" are often cults.