In high-control groups like OneTaste, the philosophy that you are 100% responsible for your experience was used to manipulate members. It framed any exploitation they suffered as their own fault, making it psychologically difficult for them to recognize or name the abuse.
Adherents to the belief that AI will soon destroy humanity exhibit classic cult-like behaviors. They reorient their entire lives—careers and relationships—around this belief and socially isolate themselves from non-believers, creating an insular, high-stakes community.
For any high-control group or compelling company to attract followers, its teachings must contain a core of significant wisdom or value. This makes it difficult for members to leave, as they would also be abandoning something that genuinely helped them, blending the good with the bad.
Far from just shared living spaces, these houses are where specific ideologies (like effective altruism) are forged. The deep trust and shared beliefs built within them directly lead to the co-founding of major companies, such as the AI-firm Anthropic.
The story of Juicero—a visionary founder building a machine with the force of 'two Teslas'—is a parable for narrative-driven ventures. This powerful story attracted top investors while obscuring the fatal flaw: the expensive machine was redundant, as the juice packs could be squeezed by hand.
Once people invest significant time, money, and social identity into a group or ideology, it becomes psychologically costly to admit it's wrong. This 'sunk cost' fallacy creates cognitive dissonance, causing people to double down on their beliefs rather than face the pain of a misguided investment.
A key psychological parallel between cults and fervent belief systems like the pursuit of AGI is the feeling they provide. Members feel a sense of awe and wonder, believing they are among a select few who have discovered a profound, world-altering secret that others have not yet grasped.
OneTaste mirrored the tech world by holding corporate-style conferences with lanyards, positioning its founder as a visionary akin to a tech CEO, and promoting a world-changing mission. This familiar structure made its fringe practices seem more legitimate and appealing to a tech-savvy audience.
The popular concept of being a 'high agency' person is a rebranding of the 'radical responsibility' teachings from programs like Landmark and Tony Robbins. It's coded language for a belief system where individuals are powerful actors who shape their environment, rather than victims of it.