The psychology of Stefan Molyneux
To be honest, Stefan Molyneux’s psychology theories often seem to be whatever he makes up on the spot to win a debate.
But there are some consistent themes, especially when he’s trying to convince his target audience to defoo.
And then there’s the whole cult question, where everything starts to take a darker turn. When this blog started, they notion of an internet cult was almost non-existent. Now, almost every cult awareness group is tracking them.
And some are tracking Freedomain Radio.
To begin with, here’s an overview—an introduction to Stefan Molyneux, Christina Papadopoulos and the psychology practices of Freedomain Radio.
Stefan Molyneux—the “Splitting” question
This is probably one of the most important articles on this site. A light went on when I suddenly realized that the “philosophy” of Stefan Molyneux is indistinguishable from the symptoms of a mental disorder. Guess which one?
The “C” Word (How to recognize a destructive cult)
What are destructive cults?
In the past few years, I’ve discovered that destructive cults are dangerous primarily because a frighteningly very small percentage of people actually understand anything about them.
What’s worse, an equally frightening large percentage of people believe they do.
And those who think they do, but actually don’t, are the reason destructive cults continue to exist.
If you suspect that you just might be part of the frighteningly large percentage (who think they understand cults but really don’t) and not part of the frighteningly small percentage (who actually do), then congratulate yourself! You’re ready to start the journey.
You may want to consider starting with “The C Word,” below—my general introduction to destructive cults. I hope you’ll find the information as fascinating as I do.
Part 1–Q.E.’s cult identification flowchart
What are cults and what’s the difference between cults and destructive cults?
Yes, there have always been cults and some weird ones at that. But did you know that modern destructive cults can all trace their beginnings back to the Korean War? Here’s a brief history.
Has anyone ever tracked an organization in the process of changing people’s personalities without their knowledge? I’d thought you’d never ask.
Part 4–Who are you, Cult Member?
The one place that the frighteningly large percentage almost always gets it wrong is right here—recognizing the kind of people who are most likely to join a destructive cult. A must read.
Is Stefan Molyneux’s Freedomain Radio responsible for a suicide?
Stefan Molyneux and the problem with science
Molyneux does everything he can to convince you of the scientific basis for all of his psychology theories. But the truth is FreeDomain Radio is a faith-based organization.
Is FreeDomain Radio a destructive cult?
So that’s the big question, right? If you read my earlier posts about “the C word,” you’ll know that I make a distinction between everyday cults like organized religion—most of which are OK—and a very special group I call destructive cults, which are very much not OK.
Is Freedomain Radio one of them?
Part 1: The journey into FDR—What are the “beliefs” of FDR? How do the publicly-stated FDR beliefs compare to the private beliefs that Molyneux shares with his closest followers?
What do the cult experts have to say about FDR?
Part 2: The three persuasions of Stefan Molyneux—Molyneux takes on the role of learned psychologist when counseling his members on their family problems.
Where does this knowledge and expertise come from? Further, why does the FDR forum, literature, and podcasts appear to be a constant stream of persuasion that your parents were bad, no matter how you perceive your family now?
Part 3: The Conversion—Can involvement with FDR change your personality without your knowledge in a way that would have been completely unacceptable to you months earlier? That is the very essence of a destructive cult.
This article takes a first troubling look at the question.
Part 4: The Tools of Conversion—An identification and analysis of the tools and techniques of conversion in constant use at FreeDomain Radio.
If personality changes are occurring, what role does Stefan Molyneux (and his wife) play?
But I’m mostly interested in what you have to say. You are cordially invited to visit the forum! Comment on the articles, discuss any aspect of FreeDomain Radio (or anything else for that matter), ask questions, meet cool people, waste time—everything you would ever want to do on the internet is right here.