# The sneaky language tricks cults use to influence you

- Institution: TED
- Department: TEDNext 2025
- Speaker: Amanda Montell
- Year: 2025
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Society and politics, Languages and linguistics
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_montell_the_sneaky_language_tricks_cults_use_to_influence_you)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In the age of social media and wellness trends, the comments section is as good as a cult compound, says linguist and cultural commentator Amanda Montell. Using Taylor Swift's throng of devoted Swifties as her guide, she exposes three sneaky language tactics that cults use to influence us (for better or for worse), revealing why none of us are as cult-proof as we'd like to think.

## Lectures

1. [The sneaky language tricks cults use to influence you](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/amanda_montell_the_sneaky_language_tricks_cults_use_to_influence_you/577d1d41c05b), 6 min (TED's player)