Lack of empathy—symptom of cult-like thinking?
Short answer: yes, it can be. A noticeable erosion of empathy is one of the clearest by-products of cult-like, deeply polarized thinking. It is not merely the result of manipulation, but of sustained self-deception. People learn which facts to notice and which emotions to suppress. Outsiders stop being people. Cruelty becomes explainable. Indifference gets baptized.…
