One of the most characteristics elements of cults seems to be that the community (under the guidance of the leader) replaces the self in an individual's decision processes. There is less and less room for privacy and independence of thought and action, decisions and thoughts are heavily influenced by the community and the individual is taken to task for making decisions without consulting the community (usually, its leader).

If you listen to this podcast, roughly the last hour of it where Stef talks with Charlotte you see this process taking place. Although Stef makes some points that in an important sense are true and relevant enough ('if you keep asking people for advice but continue to then ignore it when you make a decision, you're not being very credible'), what you hear occuring here is basically Stef trying to obliterate Charlotte's independence. At some point he says that because they are all in a relationship together it is in a fundamental sense not the decision of the individual to not tell the community about certain aspects of her life (in the comparison with marriage that he makes this seems correct, but here it takes on a creepy form). Slowly but surely it is the community leader who will micromanage its members' lives.

before, something somewhat similar took place with Nathan.

For those analyzing the cult-aspects of FDR this podcast is very interesting


anyway, Stef went full-time a year ago and seemed to have a great future ahead. Had he expected that one year later this is what he would be doing, micromanaging and moulding a community of a dozen or two people?

well, I was doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen when I listened to it. During other errands and work in the past week or so I have listened to 3 or 4 of David Gordon's 'History of Political Philosphy' series, to some Philosophy Bites episodes, a Walter Block debate, interview with LewRockwell, 2 Thomas Woods lectures (the one on foreign aid is very interesting), and I probably forgot a few.
Of the last 10 FDR podcasts I have listened to 1 in full (virtue of enemies), 1 for a large part (this one) and started 2 others but stopped listening after a few minutes. So it's not like FDR dominates my podcast-experiences

the title of this FDR podcast sounded intriguing, but the beginning was boring so I skipped quite a bit and then it became interesting again, so I rewinded a bit and then listened to the rest of it.

The interesting part about this (and other) FDR podcast for me was seeing the psychological and sociological process that is going on. lemme try to explain it in general terms:

during the podcast I find myself guessing what Stef's next moves will be, how he will respond to what the other(s) say, how the conversation partner must be feeling at certain points, how (s)he will try to find a way out of a situation (mostly by giving in), and so on. It's very quasi-interactive that way, it tests one's skills

plus there is the not insignificant part that other people may have with (real-life) soap opera's of 'no, he's not doing that' or 'how dare he do that?' or 'oh no, he didn't' and so on, so it is a secondary or tertiary emotional experience.

plus, there is a significant frustration-aspect about it and I have sort of found out that ever since a little kid I have hated hypocrisy and double standards (starting with my father, then also teachers, then media, then intellectuals, politicians etc., & of course realizing that I am hypoctritical on a somewhat regular basis as well [edit: and likely in bigger ways that I cannot or will not yet see], though I don't think to the extent of the people whose hypicrisy I hate) and throughout my life I have re-enacted this patterns of frustration and anger and (ineffective) protest against it,a dn FDR provides like a perfect steady [edit: and safe] dose of this re-enactment. this part mos def is not healthy, but I think re FDR it has become less intense

Nope, I'm not claiming to have any idea what others should do, I was just relating what your post triggered for me. Sorry, I wish I were god, but you're on your own!

- NonE

Conrad, I don't know if this is at all related to how you feel about FDR, but I'll just throw it out there because it's what I've found to be true about myself.

In the back of my head, throughout all of my philosophical and scientific studies, I think I've wanted to be a source of information for other people. I've wanted people to look to me, and ask me questions, and hold me in some kind of high esteem for whatever insights I'm able to provide. I don't know if I'd call it a complex, but in some small way I've got "guru-envy".

What Stefan has set up at Freedomain, in all its pathology, seems to be the logical conclusion of what that part of my personality desires. Then I see what's happened to him, and his little group of admirers, and I think, "This is horrible! He's just a narcissistic dictator! He's not at all open to new ideas. He's become a caricature of his own beliefs." And that reflects back on me, in some way. I got caught up in their drama, and still am, because one part of me thinks it's this terrible, cultish group, and another part of me -- a sort of secret part -- wishes it was my terrible, cultish group.

What if I am corrupt and petulant?