Bounded choice

by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  Currently reading Bounded Choice True believers and Charismatic Cults

  I am intrigued by this book in the first few sentences and then on find it hard to put it down.

  A taster:"These nineteen men, we learned, were part of the worldwide Al-Qaeda network, which is guided by the elusive and charismatic Osama bin Laden. AlQaeda training manuals and handbooks found during intelligence investigations describe the type of indoctrination and training required by bin Laden. They give precise and detailed instructions on behaviors, dress, social interactions, undercover survival tips, and deadly tactical operations, more or less guiding the daily lives of adherents as they await orders for proceeding on acts of martyrdom."

  I honestly would not have joined the dots to terrorist groups but this book and there is one I read last month helps me connect the dots on how dangerous and destructive groups/cults can get.

  Zing
  

  
  
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  slimboyfat

  Very interesting, I recently read Escaping Utopia by the same author, which features the experience of a former JW, among others, coming to terms with life outside a strict community

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1138239747/ref=dbs_a_def_awm_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i5
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  "Conventional wisdom tells us that cult members who commit acts against themselves and others must be deranged, unstable, weak-minded, or weak-willed. They must be needy lost souls who cannot think for themselves. Researchers, clinicians, practitioners, and academics, as well as ordinary citizens, have concluded that cult members must be dysfunctional, mentally ill, or coerced by charismatic but insane leaders. The purpose of this book is to contradict these simple formulations and to advance a theory that explains how normal, intelligent, educated people can give up years of their lives—and sometimes their very lives—to groups and beliefs"
  

  Often seen in comments that we were gullible naive, pressured, fools etc upon hwo could we have been in any cult. This book helps see why educated and intelligent ones have fallen for such cults. Do read the book.

  Zing
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  Diogenesister

  Fantastic. I'm definitely going to order these books.

  It seems the world at large is finally coming to terms with how damaging these controlling fundamentalist groups are.

  And when members of a group are that controlled, we know there is undue influence at play. That's when things become dangerous.

  In their efforts to root out these organizations, governments Will inevitably come across groups like Jehovahs Witnesses, who more than tick all the criteria for a cult. Watchtower is also likely to fall foul of the governments need to appear as if they don't only target & penalize Muslims when rooting out extremist groups, too. So even though Watchtower promotes non violence, it's undue influence makes it a risk, if not to outsiders, at least to its own members.

  This lady, Dr. Florence Gaub, also got the ball rolling with her peer reviewed paper "The Cult of Isis". Unfortunately the paper has to be purchased, but the interview is worth listening too.

  https://youtu.be/laZw7nvU9AU
  
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  Truly a compelling book.Loving it through and through. If you are looking to understand cult mind control, you will want to read this book. Janja Lalich, a professor of sociology, is herself a mind control cult survivor. She writes with great insight into the dynamics in high demand groups. I found it hard to put the book down.

  Zing