People Share Things That Feel Like a Cult, But Aren't a Cult

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

Aug 10, 2022 12:30 PM EDT

The city I used to live in had a local cult. They preyed on international college students, those searching for a religious community, and straight-up loners to build an army of members. With promises of friendship and community, they'd isolate people from their families and other friends to the point where they'd spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the cult. They'd provide housing for members and "strongly encourage" them to get in relationships and marry. As bemusing it is to have a well-documented local cult made up of seemingly ordinary people, organizations like that can harm those who get picked up by them without knowing their reputation.

Luckily, most of us have not been in an actual cult. We think we know what a cult might be like because it's common to see individuals with a cultlike devotion to harmless things. One Reddit user asked his fellow Redditors, what isn't a cult, but feels like a cult?