The charismatic cult leader is both a sociological phenomenon and a pop-culture archetype, and much of his mystique — for the gawking outsider — comes from how he manages to amass power in spite of his self-evident absurdity. In “Going Clear,” Lawrence Wright describes L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, as “comically self-important, a parody of himself.” As he worked a crowd, “His eyes rolled, his body language was inappropriate and weird, and his hand flew around meaninglessly in odd directions.” The skeptical public processes the cult leader as a clown. The word “charisma” originated as a purely religious idea, referring to divine powers ascribed to mortal beings. Though “charisma” later came to also mean a pure personal charm, in the context of the charismatic cult it often presents as antisocial, narcissistic and sociopathic. Much of the work of the cult leader is to obscure himself from public view, outsourcing his charisma to his followers.

Source: New York Times September 14, 2020 16:46 UTC