[WikiEN-l] Just what *is* Jimbo's role anyway? - personality cult

[Slim Virgin]

On 3/24/07, Seth Finkelstein <sethf at sethf.com> wrote:
>         Look at it this way: Why *does* someone join a cult? And more
> importantly, why do they *stay*, doing free labor? Stark coercion, of
> the sort if-you-leave-we'll-hunt-you-down-and-kill-you, is extraordinarily
> rare. Much of the process is about manipulating a psychological need.
> Transcendent purpose, internal status, external dangers - these are
> all deep human triggers.
>
The thing about "manipulating psychological need" might simply boil
down to saying "come and write for us" (an honest invitation) and
"your work might help a lot of people" (a real reward). To call it
"manipulation," or to argue that there's a cult-like aspect, is to add
an additional factor, namely that there's something untoward about it.
So what is the untoward thing, in your view?

Sarah