Cultish

Cults are so prevalent in Western culture the question shouldn’t be “is this group a cult,” but “to what extent is cult behavior present?” Luckily the best defense against falling into the traps of a cult is by possessing an awareness of their qualities. Cultish encourages you to evaluate your existing relationships with any group or community by highlighting up to 40 common characteristics found among cults.   HOW TO USE THE APP: To use Cultish, start by typing the name of any group you’d like to analyze. (The app works best if you enter a group that you’re already a part of.) To evaluate your chosen group, simply swipe left or right if you disagree or agree with the statements on each card.   The final score is the percentage of questions you answered “correct” to aligning with cult-like behaviors. You can customize the number of unique and well-researched cult characteristics in each test, as well as the “glow” color for the entire app. Take the quiz as many times as you’d like and test any group you want! Cultish neither saves any information about you nor how you use the app.   WHAT'S THE APP FOR? The potential for cult-like behavior can be found in any community, including large corporations, political groups, academia, social clubs, professional organizations, entertainment establishments, religious groups, or even groups bonded by race, gender, age, income, surname, lifestyle, geographic location, ideology, your own peer groups, or a group as small as two people. This app allows you to measure your experience with any of these types of groups against common cult behaviors.   Even though the characteristics on each card are well-researched and commonly found in cults spanning across all times and geographies, the complexity of human behavior cannot be boiled down to simple "yes/no" questions. This app is ultimately for entertainment purposes only. At the most this app may be educational, provide a “moment of awakening,” or help you re-evaluate your connection to certain groups. At the least, Cultish may raise your awareness of common cult-like behaviors and help you better guard against groups like them in your ongoing pursuit toward healthy connections with others.