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| Patrick Stewart as Locutus, the Borg assimilated Jean-Luc Picard (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
At what price? Are you really joining the Borg Collective instead?
Following are the signs that you're in a sales cult, not a sales organization. How many did you spot?
- I chant and sing every morning as part of a group "warmup"
- I have a mentor who shadows me almost 24/7.
- I am always looking out for new recruits, whom I hope to mentor one day
- I am fully involved in my job / opportunity and have no time for frivolous stuff, like relationships
- I buy my clothes and stuff on credit because I haven't made any money (soon...)
- I think my partner / friend / family does NOT support me fully in my job / opportunity
- I have drifted apart from my regular partner, friends, and family
- I attend all sorts of after-work social events by my sales leader and mentor
- I am often very tired as I don't sleep much (I wonder how "they" do it...)
- I think my partner does NOT understand how important my job/opportunity is to me
- I think my partner does NOT understand how hard I am working
- I am not stopping for anyone or anything (including "friends", "family", "partner", and more)
- I cite my daily or weekly accomplishments to the team and I am PROUD of it.
- I feel very sad if I don't hit my daily / weekly goals
- I am jealous of my sales leader's success and paycheck and fancy car and fancy cloths
- I have some doubts, but I don't dare show it. I am sure it's a phase that will pass.
- I can't quit. I will let my leader and the team down if I do. They'll tell me I'm not a quitter. I am not.
How many of these apply to you? Read on to understand why these are signs of a cult, not a business.
Below you will find two people discussing the signs above... a cult expert, and a former member of the Borg collective (this is kinda humorous, but rather dark humor).
I chant and sing every morning as part of a group "warmup"
Cult expert: Group chanting and singing is a common cult tactic. Group chant and group singing affect our brain, in a process that is not completely understood, to produce altered consciousness, similar to that of meditation or some drug use. Group chant and group singing makes you more malleable and susceptible to the group message. Religions have long used religious choirs for this effect.
Ex-Borg: Nano-probes are more efficient.
I have a mentor who shadows me almost 24/7.
Cult Expert: By isolating you from new members and only pair you with an experience long-time (trusted) member (let's say "elder") you will ONLY see the view that the group / elder want you to see. By dominating your life you won't seek out alternate sources of information, and accept their version as the whole truth. This is standard cult "information control" disguised as "mentoring".
Ex-Borg: Nano-probes are more efficient.
I am always looking out for new recruits, whom I hope to mentor one day
Cult expert: Just as your recruiter found you, you're out to recruit someone else. Just as you are being mentored, you hope to mentor someone else.
Ex-Borg: You are much like us, through much cruder methods.
I am fully involved in my job / opportunity and have no time for frivolous stuff, like relationships
Ex-Borg: You are like the Borg. Desires are irrelevant. Love is irrelevant. Relationships are irrelevant. Family is irrelevant. There is only the Borg / Opportunity.
Cult Expert: (Awkward pause) You volunteered, and were not compelled by nano-probes.
I buy my clothes and stuff on credit because I haven't made any money (soon...)
Cult Expert: You had to fit in. You had to wear fancy duds and bling to sell stuff. Never mind you can't afford it.
Ex-Borg: Your budget is irrelevant.
I attend all sorts of after-work social events by my sales leader and mentor
Ex-Borg: Sleep is irrelevant.
Cult Expert: Keeping you tired but constantly exposed to group thought is also a way of brain washing. When you are sleep-deprived, your mind becomes more gullible / malleable / susceptible to their truth.
Ex-Borg: I am starting to see the appeal of psychological manipulation.
I am often very tired as I don't sleep much (I wonder how "they" do it...)
Cult Expert: If you are working 8-12 hour days, AND attend social events at night, you're obviously NOT getting enough sleep and proper rest. You can do it for a little while, but sooner or later you will crash (both figuratively and literally). As mentioned above, sleep deprivation opens you up to suggestions, and also makes you too tired to doubt their narrative and/or conduct your own research / verification.
Ex-Borg: Your physical needs are irrelevant.
I think my partner / friend / family does NOT support me fully in my job / opportunity
I think my partner does NOT understand how hard I am working
I am not stopping for anyone or anything (including "friends", "family", "partner", and more)
I cite my daily or weekly accomplishments to the team and I am PROUD of it.
I feel very sad if I don't hit my daily / weekly goals
I am jealous of my sales leader's success and paycheck and fancy car and fancy cloths
I have some doubts, but I don't dare show it. I am sure it's a phase that will pass.
I can't quit. I will let my leader and the team down if I do. They'll tell me I'm not a quitter. I am not.
Cult Expert: Your partner / friend / family don't support you jumping off the bridge either. Did you evaluate their support, or lack of, properly?
Ex-Borg: They are irrelevant.
I have drifted apart from my regular partner, friends, and family
Cult expert: That's another side effect of cult sales. They replaced your partner, friends, and family, with your mentor, your sales team, and your entire organization.
Ex-Borg: They are irrelevant.
I think my partner does NOT understand how important my job/opportunity is to me
Ex-Borg: Their understanding is irrelevant.
Cult expert: I got nothing to add.
I think my partner does NOT understand how hard I am working
Cult Expert: At what price? You can be working hard doing something impossible, so it's all wasted effort. Then what?
Ex-Borg: Their understanding is irrelevant.
I am not stopping for anyone or anything (including "friends", "family", "partner", and more)
Ex-Borg: They are irrelevant. Borg / job / opportunity is the only thing that matter.
Cult Expert: By having you cut off your ties to your existing social circle, they have INCREASED your dependence on them for the social feedback.
I cite my daily or weekly accomplishments to the team and I am PROUD of it.
Cult Expert: another part of cult tactic is daily or weekly confessions where members are required to confess to sins or shortcomings. Sometimes, the opposite is done: members are required to attend meeting where high-performing members are praised (to shame the rest). But the bottom point is sell stuff.
Ex-Borg: Your job / opportunity is the only thing that matter. Your life is irrelevant. Your ego is irrelevant.
I feel very sad if I don't hit my daily / weekly goals
Cult Expert: Your job / opportunity is the only thing that matter. You have been trained well, much like one of Pavlov's dogs. To keep you productive, it is best if your happiness is tied to your productivity in Borg / job / opportunity. Ultimately, your sadness is irrelevant.
Ex-Borg: I think I was supposed to say that least part?
I am jealous of my sales leader's success and paycheck and fancy car and fancy cloths
Cult Expert: If you dedicate your all, you "have a chance" to be like him. But ultimately, your success is irrelevant.
Ex-Borg: You did it again!
I have some doubts, but I don't dare show it. I am sure it's a phase that will pass.
Ex-Borg: Your doubts are irrelevant. Your wellbeing is irrelevant. Ultimately, you are irrelevant, as long as the Borg / job / opportunity survives.
Cult Expert:: Humans call this Sammelweiss Reflex. In order to prevent rejection from his peers, a man will suppress his own thoughts and logic that goes against peer practice and / or common knowledge.
I can't quit. I will let my leader and the team down if I do. They'll tell me I'm not a quitter. I am not.
Ex-Borg: Your desires are irrelevant. Your existence is irrelevant. There is only the Borg / job / opportunity.
Cult Expert: If you actually do voice it, they'll send a team out to guilt-trip you into staying.
Ex-Borg: I am starting to like humans.
