How many of you have made life altering decisions based on the charisma of another individual? During the pandemic, I bought a subscription to Amazon Kindle. This allowed me to read many books that I would have otherwise not found. Through this subscription, I was able to read many memoirs written by women who left dangerous cults. Some of these authors were born into cults, others joined when they were adults typically during a time where they were in vulnerable positions (substance abuse, financial distress, in a relationship stagmire). The common theme in all of these situations is the power of patriarchal magnetism. They are drawn by this power and charm, only later to discover that the male figurehead is truly just a narcissist who thrives on power and focuses solely on his own selfish desires. This type of experience isn’t solely exemplified in escaping a dangerous cult. One can also find a bazillion examples of how all of us have been drawn to individuals who have powerful qualities we admire, only to figure out later down the road that this mystical charm wears off after a while exposing a deeply flawed figure who is unhealthy for us to be around.
Sources:
Behind the Song: Heart’s Ann Wilson Looks Back on “Magic Man” https://americansongwriter.com/heart-ann-wilson-magic-man-behind-the-song/ Uitti, Jacob. 2021
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Man
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