Here's another interesting bit from the Influence at Work site I referenced on another thread.

It's about what is called Self-Serving Bias, the tendency of humans to consider themselves immune to influence and above and beyond the everyone else in the world.

It is this tendency which actually makes people more vulnerable to cults according to the author.

quote:

---

Before jumping into the specifics, I'd like to briefly discuss an insidious psychological process called the "Self-serving Bias." This bias leads us to believe that we are immune to the influences that affect the rest of humanity. I run into this bias all the time when describing my work on resistance to persuasion: "I think it's great that you're trying to help people resist television ads. Of course, TV ads don't persuade me..."

The self-serving bias has been demonstrated countless times: the majority of Americans believe they are smarter and better looking than average; most drivers (even those hospitalized for accidents) believe themselves more skilled than the average driver; most smog-breathing Los Angelinos believe themselves healthier than their neighbors; most college students believe they will outlive their predicted age of death by 10 years, and so on.

The most ironic example of the self-serving bias that I've ever heard appeared in a social psychology paper written by one of Kelton's students. After the self-serving bias had been discussed in class, this student wrote:

"I don't understand why they say the self-serving bias is universal. I mean, I see it in other people, but I personally don't have a self-serving bias."

I'm not kidding, the student really wrote that!

The self-serving bias often manifests in innocuous or amusing ways, as in the examples above. But in the context of cult influence, this bias leaves us with a dangerous illusion of invulnerability: "I'm not the kind of mindless zombie who joins a cult." But very few mindless zombies join cults. Instead, as discussed on a previous page, the vast majority of cult recruits are normal, productive people--people confident in their ability to shrug off cult influence tactics. So, if I had to name the single most important defense against cult influence, it is the realization that we are all vulnerable--our friends, our families, and ourselves. (Note: Dr. Singer argues convincingly that false perceptions of invulnerability leave us particularly vulnerable

---

This information goes a long way toward explaining to me why many people come to this site, and just reject out of hand the notion that Con:Sin might be a cult, or who believe that OTHERS may have been controlled and manipulated, but that they are far beyond anything like that ever happening to them.

Ironically, these are always the angriest and staunchest defenders who can never come up with one clear or definitive statement as to why or what they are defending.

But, my my, do they ever look down on those of us who are open to thinking about mind control and manipulation.

Heads up!

That one really hits home, I said to myself after my time in prison with Scientology that NOW I knew better, having been involved with (arguably) the most intense cult "THAT will never happen to ME again"
Then I enjoyed 10 or so years of spiritual freedom, and boom anuther one caught me off guard... so after that I felt really WISE...
nevermore....
SURE.... then came Jachass...

I know what I need: A therapy group to help me get rid of my weaknesses towards contolling GROUPS...and to TEACH ME how to be vigilant, and to teach me how to deal with cults when I get involved in groups.

Maybe Cuz I already have so much EXPERIENCE in this regard I should start the group...!!!

What a great idea.....

I think we're ready to start our own cult for sure. We have it down pat by now!

I was thinking of channelling Peny. Think of all the good alternative therapy help we could dish out. Or, maybe we could do some co-channelling, one of us could be Michaell and the other Peny.

Or, we could make up our own cool entity.

Seriously, do check out that site! It is really interesting, and loaded with lots of little research tidbits that are just fascinating. It's all written in plain English too, not scholar speak.

My favorite is an experiment performed at a University where all but one copy machine was shut down causing long lines to form at the only functional one. Several people were enlisted to cut the line using three different excuses. The point of the exercise was to measure how thoughtfully people respond to a request.

First excuse + good reason: Excuse me, may I use the copy machine? I'm late for class. = 94% compliance rate.

Second excuse + no reason: Excuse me, may I use the copy machine = 60% compliance rate

Third excuse + dumb reason: Excuse me, may I use the copy machine, I need to make copies. = 93% compliance rate.

The results are a measure of the mindless way in which many people respond to information. The dumb and ridiculous excuse got only a 1% worse response rate than the good excuse. Yet, people did notice when there was no excuse provided.

Of course, no matter which way you twist or turn it, at least 40% of those waiting in a long line allowed someone to cut in front of them, excuse or no. Makes you think doesn't it?

It makes me think of the power of something like signing a nasty post "Love and Peace" as opposed to signing a nice one "Lava and Peas". "Love and Peace" have their power, I would say, to those who are not mindful.

The key here is MINDFUL. We really do have to learn to be MINDFUL, even of our own Self Serving Biases.

So, how about we target our cult start date for Jan 2002? That should give us plenty of time to plot, scheme, and finish vacationing!

I swear, Aud, I seriously believe that we could pull it off, even after scheming publicly.

I say you could really pull it off ESPECIALLY after scheming publicly.

When do you plan to have your first workshop? Are there any tapes I could get first to prepare myself? How about any kind of objects that will help me be more powerful?

I will be applying for a new credit card very soon and getting an extra job to pay for whatever fess you decide to charge.

Please be sure I am on your Mailing List!

And BTW, I don't think you will ever have to finish vacationing.

I think you have established yourself to be sufficiently worthy of enrollment in the Advanced Fooly Aware Program, which will include the benefits of having your name listed prominently on all of our literature as having achieved the stature of "Semi-Clear", and you and your guest will be included in our invitation only, elite "Candid Karma" series of taped face to face encounters with the world renowned English Channels who will teach you to toilet train the world so you will never have to change it again.

You may put your new credit card on file with us and be automatically billed , and billed, and billed, because we believe you should get off your assets and stay off of them.

Thanks for applying early and don't forget,
enlightenment is not a bureaucracy. So you don't have to go through channels.