--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many cults start off with high ideals…" description: "\"Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control members..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/philip-zimbardo-8654_advisor_many-cults-start-off-with-high-ideals-th_2456461.jpg" --- # Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted… ![“Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control members' lives. No group with high ideals starts off as a 'cult'; they become one when their errant ways are exposed.” quote by Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/philip-zimbardo-8654_advisor_many-cults-start-off-with-high-ideals-th_2456461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/philip-zimbardo-8654_advisor_many-cults-start-off-with-high-ideals-th_2456461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/philip-zimbardo-8654_advisor_many-cults-start-off-with-high-ideals-th_2456461.jpg) > “Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control members' lives. No group with high ideals starts off as a 'cult'; they become one when their errant ways are exposed.” [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explains that groups with noble intentions can become cults when power corrupts leaders, emphasizing the danger of unchecked authority. **In simple terms:** Ideal groups can turn cult‑like under corrupt leadership. Key Takeaway Monitor power dynamics and maintain accountability. Themes power corruption leadership group dynamics ethics Mood cautious analytical Type educational critical When to use this quote - corporate boards - political parties - religious groups - online communities Key Concepts psychology social influence organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can groups safeguard against power abuse? - What signs indicate a shift toward cult‑like behavior? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex social movements as merely power grabs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advisor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advisor/) [Advisors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advisors/) [Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Board](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/board/) [Boards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boards/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Corrupted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted/) [Corrupted Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted-leaders-613747/) [Cult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult/) [Cults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cults/) [Cults Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cults-start-613745/) [Dominate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominate/) [Exposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposed/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/group/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/off/) [Power hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-hungry/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starts/) [Starts Cult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starts-cult-613746/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [Religions become corrupted when leaders are assigned to explain God's will to people instead of showing them how to find this direction within themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/religions-become-corrupted-when-leaders-are-assigned-to-explain-god-s/) [James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/) > [“HSPs tend to fill that advisor role. We are the writers, historians, philosophers, judges, artists, researchers, theologians, therapists, teachers, parents, and plain conscientious citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/hsps-tend-to-fill-that-advisor-role-we-are-the-writers-historians/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [Many financial advisors recommend that you diversify for your own protection. 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Ah, good, then you can be my most trusted advisor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/are-you-a-devious-plotting-unreliable-madman-ah-good-then-you-can-be/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Sometimes, the best advisor is one that serves as a sounding board for his commander’s thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-v-larson/sometimes-the-best-advisor-is-one-that-serves-as-a-sounding-board-for/) [B.V. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-v-larson/) > [I was talking to my spiritual advisor. I got a letter from somebody who said that they were about to kill themselves, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/i-was-talking-to-my-spiritual-advisor-i-got-a-letter-from-somebody/) [David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/) > [“It is not enough for a professional to be right: An advisor’s job is to be helpful. David”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-maister/it-is-not-enough-for-a-professional-to-be-right-an-advisor-s-job-is/) [David H. Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-maister/) > [“Some people would have killed themselves and/or someone else if they were single; and some people would not have done that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-would-have-killed-themselves-and-or-someone-else-if-they/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Recently, my personal advisors have been telling me to go to America. Actually, people have been walking up to me in the street and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/recently-my-personal-advisors-have-been-telling-me-to-go-to-america/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/abe-foxman-has-been-a-friend-and-advisor-of-mine-for-a-long-time/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [You dont need to take advice from somebody. Wait for your time, it is the best advisor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/you-dont-need-to-take-advice-from-somebody-wait-for-your-time-it-is/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“In fact, it is virtually impossible for students to do their own research without someone guiding their work. Having an advisor is absolutely essential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-frenkel/in-fact-it-is-virtually-impossible-for-students-to-do-their-own/) [Edward Frenkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-frenkel/) > [“In short, a strong royal advisor class insists on stopping and thinking. And it tries, I think with growing success in modern times, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/in-short-a-strong-royal-advisor-class-insists-on-stopping-and/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) ## More by Philip Zimbardo > [One can't live mindfully without being enmeshed in psychological processes that are around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/one-can-t-live-mindfully-without-being-enmeshed-in-psychological/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds of antisocial behavior, as seen by the Ku Klux Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/when-someone-is-anonymous-it-opens-the-door-to-all-kinds-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [It was God who created hell as a place to store evil. He didn't do a good job of keeping it there though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/it-was-god-who-created-hell-as-a-place-to-store-evil-he-didn-t-do-a/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [That human behavior is more influenced by things outside of us than inside. The 'situation' is the external environment. The inner environment is genes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/that-human-behavior-is-more-influenced-by-things-outside-of-us-than/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [The "Lucifer Effect" describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-lucifer-effect-describes-the-point-in-time-when-an-ordinary/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Time perspective is one of the most powerful influences on all of human behavior. We're trying to show how people become biased to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/time-perspective-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-influences-on-all-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [ The \[Stanford Prison Experiment\] was readily approved by the Human Subjects Research committee because it seemed like college kids playing cops and robbers, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readily-approved-by-the-human/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [A good cult delivers on its promises. A good cult nourishes the needs of its members, has transparency and integrity, and creates provisions for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/a-good-cult-delivers-on-its-promises-a-good-cult-nourishes-the-needs/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [We can assume that most people, most of the time, are moral creatures. But imagine that this morality is like a gearshift that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-can-assume-that-most-people-most-of-the-time-are-moral-creatures/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [I'm saying to be a hero is means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes always are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/i-m-saying-to-be-a-hero-is-means-you-step-across-the-line-and-are/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Most of the evil of the world comes about not out of evil motives, but somebody saying 'get with the program, be a team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/most-of-the-evil-of-the-world-comes-about-not-out-of-evil-motives-but/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [The first time I spoke publicly about the Stanford Prison Experiment, Stanley Milgram told me: "Your study is going to take all the ethical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-first-time-i-spoke-publicly-about-the-stanford-prison-experiment/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Boys' brains are being digitally rewired for change, novelty, excitement and constant arousal. That means they're totally out of sync in traditional classes, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/boys-brains-are-being-digitally-rewired-for-change-novelty-excitement/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Research shows that the deciscions of a group as a whole are more thoughtful and creative when there is minority dissent than when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/research-shows-that-the-deciscions-of-a-group-as-a-whole-are-more/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Boys are 30 percent more likely than girls to drop out of school. In Canada, five boys drop out for every three girls. Girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/boys-are-30-percent-more-likely-than-girls-to-drop-out-of-school-in/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Explore all 79 Philip Zimbardo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) ## More Advisor quotes > [“In short, a strong royal advisor class insists on stopping and thinking. And it tries, I think with growing success in modern times, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/in-short-a-strong-royal-advisor-class-insists-on-stopping-and/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [“In fact, it is virtually impossible for students to do their own research without someone guiding their work. Having an advisor is absolutely essential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-frenkel/in-fact-it-is-virtually-impossible-for-students-to-do-their-own/) [Edward Frenkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-frenkel/) > [You dont need to take advice from somebody. Wait for your time, it is the best advisor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/you-dont-need-to-take-advice-from-somebody-wait-for-your-time-it-is/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/abe-foxman-has-been-a-friend-and-advisor-of-mine-for-a-long-time/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Recently, my personal advisors have been telling me to go to America. Actually, people have been walking up to me in the street and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/recently-my-personal-advisors-have-been-telling-me-to-go-to-america/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [“Some people would have killed themselves and/or someone else if they were single; and some people would not have done that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-would-have-killed-themselves-and-or-someone-else-if-they/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“It is not enough for a professional to be right: An advisor’s job is to be helpful. David”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-maister/it-is-not-enough-for-a-professional-to-be-right-an-advisor-s-job-is/) [David H. Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-maister/) > [I was talking to my spiritual advisor. I got a letter from somebody who said that they were about to kill themselves, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/i-was-talking-to-my-spiritual-advisor-i-got-a-letter-from-somebody/) [David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/) > [“Sometimes, the best advisor is one that serves as a sounding board for his commander’s thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-v-larson/sometimes-the-best-advisor-is-one-that-serves-as-a-sounding-board-for/) [B.V. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-v-larson/) > [Are you a devious, plotting, unreliable madman? Ah, good, then you can be my most trusted advisor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/are-you-a-devious-plotting-unreliable-madman-ah-good-then-you-can-be/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The aim of a PhD's to ensure that no one, including your advisor, understands what you're doing after the first couple of years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/the-aim-of-a-phd-s-to-ensure-that-no-one-including-your-advisor/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Usually when reporting on powerful public figures, the press advisor and I would have had a conversation that established what journalists call 'ground rules,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/usually-when-reporting-on-powerful-public-figures-the-press-advisor/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Many financial advisors recommend that you diversify for your own protection. What they fail to tell you is that it is also for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/many-financial-advisors-recommend-that-you-diversify-for-your-own/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“HSPs tend to fill that advisor role. We are the writers, historians, philosophers, judges, artists, researchers, theologians, therapists, teachers, parents, and plain conscientious citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/hsps-tend-to-fill-that-advisor-role-we-are-the-writers-historians/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [I never dreamed I would want to be or become a financial advisor,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-aames/i-never-dreamed-i-would-want-to-be-or-become-a-financial-advisor/) [Willie Aames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-aames/) [Browse all 35 Advisor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advisor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many cults start off with high ideals that get corrupted by leaders or their board of advisors who become power-hungry and dominate and control members' lives. 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