Now that I have got your attention with my cklickbait title. I think there can be genunine MLMs (multi level marketing) if done correctly. However, most of the time they are done under false pretenses. They promise wealth or influence, if only you get enough of your friends on board. They reward you fro recruiting, whatever product they offer is secondary. IN fact, you often have to buy the product yourself. To celebrate your success, they have big hyped up parties, where everyone pats each other o the back and says how wonderful everyone there is and how much smarter you are than others who have not taken the offer. Is this enough to classify this technique as a cult?
you got my attention because i read too fast and thought you were asking about MILF cunts. so is MLM another name for pyramid schemes? i don't know that i would call those cults, but they do share some characteristics.
Essentially, yes. They will say it's not because you can advance up, but there is only a finite ability to do so based on the format.
I used to watch that show and I love Penn and Teller (although not everything on that show as I think they have gotten some things wrong), although their show I feel was ripped of by Adam Ruins Everything.
i guess it depends on how you define your terms, but if mlm = multilevel marketing, like tupper ware parties and all that kind of thing, then the certainly have major aspects. i mean the whole idea of making everything have to be about money is a kind of a cult, just like every other ideology.
MLM's are cults but so are life insurance companies. I saw a quote from Jim Morrison the other day, " If you don't control your mind, someone else will." Amway ropes people on the basis of anchor bias.
About 36 years ago I lived in a house with a man who had been duped by the Amway scam. While much of his behaviour peeved me at the time, in retrospect he did effectively - albeit inadvertently - demonstrate how easy it is to be brainwashed and exemplified anchor bias.It was some years later when I heard the term and what it meant. It immediately made sense to me. It was a valuable life lesson for me. Not so long ago I got in touch with him to ask if he was one of the 1% who made it with Amway. He had to give it away when he got married. There was no life lessons for him though.Having control of your own mind is one of the most important things in life.This is why I am against alcohol consumption and taking newspapers too seriously. EDIT. When someone starts regurgitating dogma, they are no longer thinking for themselves. This is mentally and spiritually unhealthy.
Once upon a time I was pitched Amway and asked a million questions. After reviewing all the materials and listening to all their explanations, I told them that it sounded like a great idea because they weren't getting fleeced for too much money and in return they attended these cool meetings drowning in positive energy and excitement and they got to listen to all these passionate testimonials on cassette tape. I was really looking forward to it. Despite my enthusiasm, they decided not to let me into their cult. They refused even to sell me some of their laundry detergent. I was really bummed out about that for awhile. I must have been put on some kind of list because I tried to join with another Amway dude in another town and once again - too freaky for MLM.
Your thing about asking too many questions reminds me of when I went to an orientation for Cutco and they said not to ask what if questions. Granted, I actually think Cutco are quality knives but they still have a model the ultimately is only sustainable to a point.
As an ex chef I know what I would buy out of Cutco vs Victorinox knives. They make the Swiss army knives. Buying a knife is a personal thing. Pick it up and decide if you are comfortable with it. Living with that Amway agent, it became quite obvious to me that MLM's are an inefficient distribution method. I don' t buy anything off door to door sales people as they are out to give me a raw deal. Friends of mine once bought a Kirby Vacuum cleaner for a rip off price from direct sellers.
Keeping control of your mind is one of the most important things in life. Do not let yourself get indoctrinated.When you hear or read a statement ask is this fact or opinion; does this person have an agenda? There are always two sides to every story. Does this person have expert knowledge of the topic they are commenting on? Would you consider the opinion of a flat-earther to be equal to that of a Geo-physicist? Do not become dogmatic. Always be prepared to re-evaluate your opinion on a topic.
