Winged Things

oh my favorite trope? two people who go through something so unique and agonizing and entirely beyond words that they have no choice but to create a bond that transcends all other types of love, thus acting as the sole point of understanding for the other person in a world that cannot fathom what they’ve been through

My hypothesis is that in like 10 years gen z is gonna have a big cult boom the way the boomers did in the 70s

It’s already happening on tik tok. There’s a fun new thing going round that’s citing common symptoms of depression and anxiety as signs you’re about to have your awakening and that you are actually an alien and the reason you don’t feel right is because you’re home sick for your own galaxy. So that’s fun.

agreed, and i don't mean this in a "haha gen z is so dumb they're gonna join a tiktok cult lmao" i mean that conditions are perfect for the formation of cults right now.

[ID:  Spongebob wrestling meme format. Buff Patrick labeled "predatory cult" flexes and growls in a wrestling ring at a stern, buff Spongebob labeled "my intelligence". In his corner Mr Crabs is labeled "my education". Final panel shows Patrick and whistling Spongebob walking out hand-in-hand, both labeled "rationalizing why this isn't really a cult" /ID]

(This is actually more relevant here than standalone.) 

Our popular media has tended to portray people in cults as ignorant or as losers when that’s really not how they work. Cults don’t want dead weight they have to support; they want talented, clever, energetic people they can exploit to siphon wealth and labor out of.

Some are religious, but some are political. You find yourself moving into a house full of Maoist revolutionaries because capitalism really is that awful and ecological collapse is imminent—but for some reason, the leader of the self-crit sessions is also the person everyone else in the house is in a polyamorous relationship with, and they can’t see anyone else outside of the house without her approval. Or you need a little extra money and you get told you’d be so good at selling Keto products. You’re a natural, and after you get through these first tough months, the leg under you will be developed enough you only have to work if you wanna hit bigger goals. Etc.

Loneliness, a lack of purpose, and desperation all make you susceptible to cults no matter how smart you are. In fact, your very clever brain is also extremely capable of redirecting your thoughts away from realizing you’re being exploited and abused because, after all, you’re not some idiot, are you? 

We’ve got a ton of very clever young people fully aware that they’re going to have to suffer through decisions of the selfish dead, and they’re going to crave salvation of all different kinds because the future is going to suck, and it won’t have been their fault, and they won’t be able to do anything to stop it. 

You may be thinking still “I’m not one of those WEAK MINDED FOOLS who would join a cult” let me remind you that there’s no one type of person who joins cults. But lots of people who join cults do so when their life is in some kind of crisis and they are extremely vulnerable, seeking a place to belong or escape.

Right now, I have a place to belong and I’m happy and I am hyper vigilant about high control environments and I probably wouldn’t join a cult…but if I had recently lost my job? My partner passed away? If a handful of my friends who function as family left Texas? If my house burned down? If I began struggling with addiction? If I became very ill? Who knows what I would do if just the wrong kind of predatory group bumped into my life at just the wrong time?

All cults start with some level of reasonable introduction. The whole boiling frog metaphor…none of us are as bulletproof to social manipulation and control as we may wish we are. Our circumstances impact us greatly.

I very much think we are not only going to but are already seeing modern cults in a big way. And it’s interesting how many of them are led by women. Gwen Shamblin Lara. Teal Swan. Mother God.

I am a clever woman. I've spent my entire life being the smartest person in the room and being annoyed by it. People have told me since I was a small child that I'm exceedingly bright and gifted. I have never in my life gotten less than a 95% on a test or paper. I solve puzzles like they're all on par with finger trap toys.

I'm not saying that to brag, I'm saying it because I'm the kind of person most people assume is "too smart" to fall for things.

I have been drawn into three different cults in my life. They didn't pull me in because I was ignorant or weak minded. They pulled me in precisely BECAUSE I'm smart. They prey on loneliness. On pattern recognition. On passion. On hope. They find people who feel different and show them how to fit in to their group.

Cults will take anyone. They have tactics to take anyone. There is no specific profile of people who are susceptible to indoctrination, because they need as many bodies and skills as possible to succeed.

The only trait that most cult members have in common? We believed we were too savvy to be drawn in by a cult.

MOMMY FORGOT MY CALMING BANANA

Without looking it up, when you first hear "Tornado Warning", what does that mean to you?

I have met. so many people in real life who do not know what "Tornado Watch" means, who do not know what "Tornado Warning" means.

literally 9 out of 10 (aka 90%) of people I meet think that "Tornado Watch" is the more dangerous alert, and think "Tornado Warning" is less severe.

Most people I meet who hear 'Tornado Warning' think it's a good idea to go outside and look at the cool clouds.

FEMA or whoever needs to officially change these stupid-ass names, or do one HELL of a public awareness campaign, because this can and will get people killed; there's already been multiple deadly tornadoes just this week.

https://www.noaa.gov/news/us-struck-with-more-than-100-tornadoes-heavy-snow-in-april

Tornado Watch: Watch out, and be cautious! -- Keep an ear out for alerts, and make sure you know where you need to take shelter! A tornado could possibly form in this storm, and you need to be ready.

Tornado Warning = Warning! A Tornado is currently forming or is already formed! -- Take shelter immediately on the lowest floor of your home away from windows!

I literally have this image printed out on my bulletin board at work (my staff and I do a lot of work outdoors) :

Okay, this graphic is genuinely genius because it is so funny, more people need to see this lol.

have i ever shown you guys my professor’s DNI list

this is environmental storytelling to me. i just KNOW she’s so so tired of gay cottagecore bitches

Smurfs dni

everyone shut the fuck up this is the only funny addition to this post

I would like to have some words with the folks over on twitter actually real quick

That post I made over new years had people at my THROAT for saying I only buy real leather. Sorry I really do think that wearing textured plastic that will fall apart in under 5 years and go on to irreparably poison the environment is the worse option here.

if you look into the mushroom leather or apple leather or cactus leather or any other plant-based alternatives, they're all still about 50-75% polyurethane. They'll still fall apart fast and then they wont decompose except into microplastics. They're just not sustainable. I thrift pretty much all my leather garments and some of them are 30 years old and still hold up like they're new. Like there's no contest.

what people don't tell you about maximalism is the Dust

listen I just think if Anduin did this for a couple hours not saying it’s a cure but i mean that’s how all the other millennials have gotten through it

Within 48 hours, the four human study participants showed remarkable results: their immune systems went into turbo cancer-destroying mode. And without surgery, radiation, or dangerous chemotherapy.

Folks, we may have a cure for cancer within your lifetime.

May it perform as (so far) advertised.

Holy shit. This would be incredible.

a few towns over there used to be a golf course with a bunch of statues and one of them was a huge orange dinosaur which became a local landmark. like this dinosaur was beloved. but its also important to note that its hideous. like really, really fucking ugly. and so more recently the golf course got removed and an apartment building was being built, and everyone was FURIOUS at the thought of them removing their precious, disgusting orange dinosaur, so the town had no choice but to leave it up. so now there is a brand new shiny apartment building with an anatomically incorrect orange dinosaur overlooking the horizon

i don’t think my description does it justice actually. here’s the man himself

@massachusetts-official

I am so glad the route 1 dino is getting so much love!!!!

Official Post of Massachusetts

If you have Spotify reblog this and tag what your number one song on your “on repeat” playlist is.

I have covid for the 4th time (I take care of people who are positive and don't understand they can't snap my mask off. It happens.) My coworkers were making fun of me because they don't know anyone who has had it as many times as me. So I'm wondering.

just sayin'

This should be taught in school.

being cosmically "insignificant" doesnt even matter like its not important......... like literally lets enjoy a strawberry

as a physicists the whole 'cosmically significant' is so funny. nothing is cosmically significant. the sun is small and tiny compared to, most starts and even stars are small next to the gravitational pull of supermassive black holes and even then is doesn't matter bc, the universe is both infinite and in vast expanse so why would one black whole matter?, which means at the end everything matters bc the universe is a sum of its parts all parts are so stupid small to the universe they all, matter and we are here enjoying a strawberry, isnt it nice?, (via las-lus)