It takes a lot more than bullshit beliefs. In fact it's not about beliefs at all, so much as exploitative, manipulative, controlling behaviours.
IMO HN really doesn't qualify. Nor does Less Wrong. YC may have culty tendencies, but it's still quite a way short.
Some businesses and startups are close to the edge, and a few are probably on the wrong side of it.
Scientology certainly qualifies. (I suspect people who haven't looked into it have little idea just how incredibly weird Scientology is as an org, never mind as a belief system.)
So do some churches.
The hard part isn't finding cults, it's working out how damaging the experience is. I know a couple of people who spent a lot of time volunteering for a cult in California. The leader was a genuinely dangerous psychopath and exploiter, but they don't seem to mind because they never met him personally, most of the people they met were nice, and it's where they met each other.
That may be unusual, but cults often collect curious, generous, and rather insecure people who are herded and abused by a few crazies. So it may not be that unusual to have a good experience, as long as you can avoid becoming a toy/servant/sex slave/cash cow for the leadership.
Creating all of the above is the true aim of every cult. The bullshit beliefs are just the window dressing.
Here's an informal example:
http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html
It takes a lot more than bullshit beliefs. In fact it's not about beliefs at all, so much as exploitative, manipulative, controlling behaviours.
IMO HN really doesn't qualify. Nor does Less Wrong. YC may have culty tendencies, but it's still quite a way short.
Some businesses and startups are close to the edge, and a few are probably on the wrong side of it.
Scientology certainly qualifies. (I suspect people who haven't looked into it have little idea just how incredibly weird Scientology is as an org, never mind as a belief system.)
So do some churches.
The hard part isn't finding cults, it's working out how damaging the experience is. I know a couple of people who spent a lot of time volunteering for a cult in California. The leader was a genuinely dangerous psychopath and exploiter, but they don't seem to mind because they never met him personally, most of the people they met were nice, and it's where they met each other.
That may be unusual, but cults often collect curious, generous, and rather insecure people who are herded and abused by a few crazies. So it may not be that unusual to have a good experience, as long as you can avoid becoming a toy/servant/sex slave/cash cow for the leadership.
Creating all of the above is the true aim of every cult. The bullshit beliefs are just the window dressing.