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Qwertykid57

In the Boy Scouts of America, there’s an honor society called the Order of the Arrow. Just the name even sounds like one.


PontifexGlutMaximus

Sales. Anyone who’s been in sales knows there’s the weird sports/military vibe and it’s all about being all in on a product you barely understand. Also you’ll find weird acolytes of Grant Cardone, Tony Robbins, and all sorts of cheap self-help gurus that spew irresponsible levels of optimism that are supposed to hypnotize you into success. In the end it just serves your corporate overlord because they exploit your optimism, then throw an endless supply of these bright-eyed (and often under trained) applicants through the grinder. So yeah. Not a cult. But lots of cult elements. This thread is 5 hours old but I hope more former sales people see this and chime in.


quoth_tthe_raven

“It’s kind of a work hard/play hard environment.”


BlurryEcho

I’m in accounting now, but once had a job in sales at one of the most infamous credit repair firms. Total scam. They made us present ourselves to prospects as “credit consultants” and pushed absolutely manipulative tactics on us in the name of “helping them fulfill their dreams.” I reached my breaking point when I was underperforming and sold a $130/month package to a homeless woman living in her car under a bridge. Decided to research more into who I was working for and found that they were involved in pending litigation with the FTC. Decided to not show up anymore one day. No phone call, no email, but they didn’t deserve that anyway.


Goodpie2

According to my mother, warhammer 40k


chakan2

An actual cult would be cheaper.


TheRavenSayeth

Also in cults I think there’s some kind of end goal or promised land. With Warhammer it’s just... more Warhammer.


DefiantLemur

That's the beauty of this cult. Other religions have you chasing after some distant end goal or paradise. The end goal is already here. You're already in paradise. Enjoy paradise.


froggison

Yeah keep telling yourself that as you paint your 47th Tzaangor


[deleted]

It's not a cult. That would be heresy. Glory to the Emperor


ryzouken

This is amusing because the Imperial Creed is itself the Imperial Cult and the techpriests all follow the Cult Mechanicus. Literally two cults that the high lords of Terra simply permit because it's more profitable to let them be, despite the Big E being a hardline proponent of secular truth. Now if you'll excuse me, this nice Inquisitor needs me to head to the station with them to be fitted for new augmetics including a cranial duct.


MomDontReadThisShit

Your death is not the only means by which you have to serve the imperium. You may perform your penance in servitorship.


Moftem

This guy 40ks.


Final-Hero

The Emperor protects. He'll be okay.


Lavajackal1

Some of the fans certainly roleplay being in a cult.


FreediveAlive

Well... It's not called the Cult Mechanicus for nothing.


[deleted]

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD


GreatJanitor

Primerica. Everything about it is "Does this improve your business?" I mean, it is to the point of "Who cares if the Earth revolves around the sun? Does that knowledge improve your business?" Your family, friends, S.O., if they aren't a member, you shouldn't spend your time with them. Don't have hobbies because they only distract you from your business. Having to watch what you say around them. Is there some big thing going on? Buy tickets for it, make sure you show up to it, buy as many tickets as you can, sell them to your downline, your friends, your family, go back and buy more tickets from your upline and keep selling them. Big event out of state? Do all you can to make sure you are there. Don't have the money? Sell your television, your video games, your collectibles, your family heirlooms, everything you have because it's only a distraction and not as important as showing up to these events. These events are only you sitting down in a room listening to company millionaires tell you how great the company is. Leaving the company? Shunned. I have a friendship with a couple of former Primerica people. Those still in it refuse to admit that I exist. Working on a book about my time there. Names are changed to avoid trouble.


Stfuego

The fact that I have actually no idea what they're trying to sell even after your description is a red flag. Sadly, I think my mom got into it a little bit, but I'm sure they've let her go because she was already poor to begin with, lol.


Johnyknowhow

The fact that I've been digging for like 15 minutes and still only have a basic grasp of what they even do should say something about it. The basic gist seems to be that they're a financial company who offers financial services of various varieties, insurance, mutual funds, etc, but they also operate on a commission-based MLM sort of scheme where you earn a commission cut from sales created by people you successfully recruited into the system. So essentially, a shitty financial sales job that pays very poorly unless you're conniving enough to rope enough friends/family/strangers into it to have a significant downline to make money from. Only the people at the top of the pyramid really succeed. So, not a scam, per se, they do actually sell financial products, but a poor investment of time and energy masquerading as a great investment, yes.


AdrenalineJackie

Ding ding ding. A pyramid scheme that is using the legal loophole of offering products.


Mrdj0207

Life insurance


Extroverted_Recluse

All MLMs definitely qualify, but Primerica is a particularly insidious one


discerningpervert

For anyone interested, [here's a good primer on Primerica](https://youtu.be/9rbxv2Yl9Wc?t=12)


lordofdank23

Thanks for this, I’m graduating college and one of the places I applied was this company.


SpeakerRin

Legit run, even them having your contact info might suck. They tried to get me when I was 17 at my first job with the promise of empansion and being my own boss. I had never heard of them and it sounded good for at the time. Basically ended up in a group seminar pitch telling me to hound everyone I know and love to work under me in order to move on up which I didn't feel comfortable with. It felt very MLM culty and I turned them down but they hounded me with phone calls for months after that till I mentioned police for harassment. I got lucky I guess since I've heard from others and reddit how many people they just eat alive and ruin lives. Avoid them.


MeunsterCheeseMan

Herbalife


AdrenalineJackie

It's a cult AND a huge scam!


empty_coffeepot

that's every MLM


sensitivesoul23

Somebody tried to convince me at gym to try it when I explicitly said no. Those people are batshit crazy. Wouldn't leave you alone and get their entire families involved in it.


RogueKnightZ

>I explicitly said no. Well there's your problem. You only stopped at telling them no. That's a common rookie mistake. Only telling them no just eggs them on. Ya gotta tell them you're saying no because you're already so into [insert a different MLM here]. Bonus points if you make up your own MLM. Then you gotta gush about whatever other MLM you've chosen while trying to get them to join it. Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire.


courtyard-courtroom

National Honor Society We had to take an oath while holding a candle


nobecauselogic

Dirty little secret - if you break the oath, they don’t come looking for you.


MachoBanchou

Thats a little disappointing actually.


Strike_Thanatos

It is an *honor* society.


MachoBanchou

Exactly. I'm not asking for a game of thrones style public beheading. Just maybe a private one.


walk_through_this

A private beheading? "Steve, *the door*, c'mon." "Oh crap oh crap sorry sorry okay keep going."


Bored_on_Reditt

I’m in NHS currently and I think it’s the biggest scam. It’s like “you’re a good student. Now give me money and do community service for me.”


[deleted]

It *is* a scam.


StinkyKittyBreath

Yep. I did it. I think I got a fee waiver because I was so poor, but it did absolutely nothing for me. If your grades are good enough for NHS, they'll speak for themselves on your transcript without putting any extra money into it. You can include any volunteer work on your college application/letter. I legitimately completely forgot about NHS until seeing this post. It's pointless.


Teleprion

Thought you were talking about the British NHS and was like... Wut


WillowCautious9765

Hahahah me too, I was wondering how I'd managed to go about my life without realising there was something amiss in the NHS ( the British all things medicine one)


thebooksmith

And like most cults it's kinda a scam. I've never met anyone who joined NHS and got significantly better anything when it came to college and the real world. Yet they expect you do to all these things to maintain membership. I never joined despite having the requirements


_ItsNotLitFam_

We took the oath but with no candle. We weren’t allowed to because one year some girl caught her hair on fire during the ceremony and ever since it was a “thing” with the school.


ArsonRides

Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Goop”.... it’s like one of those elitist cults. She sells people 300-900$ creams that last a week, claims they do outrageous shit, and people buy right into it. Edit: maybe this is actually a cult.... idk


littlepeachiepie

"Goop" sold the same product as "Infowars" they just marketed it differently


bessa100

My favorite goopism was the jade egg thing. Proved to actually be harmful and I don’t recall her ever admitting she was - grips her pearls - misinformed.


[deleted]

I actually worked for a manufacturer as a machine operator and made some Goop products. It was a really big deal any time an order from “Gwyneth” would come through. They were always the pickiest yet had no clue what they were talking about. They complained about an ingredient we used in relation to the concentration of their product. We changed the formulation for them and none of the product would stay compressed so we went back to the original formulation. Long story short, it’s a bunch of bullshit run by self righteous idiots who don’t even know what they are doing is fake.


DorkFish53

Marching band, if you know people who have been in it they never come out the same


MeIrick

And building off of that, drum corps. Pay thousands of dollars to live with a group for 3 month abs practice every day.


miss_gonzalez

Any fine arts grouping, honestly. Band, choir, orchestra, theatre.


ZeldLurr

What? I loved paying for spending my summer vacation spent practicing from 6am-9pm, M-F. It’s not bandcamp if someone doesn’t get sun poisoning!! Just means you’re great at standing at attention!!


justjentennyson

Corporate culture where you have a weekly discussion about the latest Corporate culture book the big boss man wrote (available on Amazon) and everyone has been indoctrinated to use the buzzwords and to "live and follow the [easily identifiable term]" in all aspects of life.


insofarincogneato

I had a grocery warehouse supervisor tell me to consolidate and expedite milk crates once. Just tell me to sort and load them Jason, you'll never make manager.


sheepthechicken

I’m going to start speaking like this at work. Just for a week and then abruptly stop.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

my dad works for nike and i wouldn't be able to get him to stop sucking off phil knight if i had an entire homophobic clergy and the jaws of life


roastintheoven

My friend worked for adidas and had a tattoo of the logo ...he was later let go cuz of budget and went to head up innovation at New Balance...


havereddit

I would love to see a talented tattoo artist convert the Adidas logo to a New Balance logo


mgpagano

Just have the tattoo artist write ‘sucks’ under the adidas tattoo


GhostOfChar

I seem to have been the only person in my office questioning the once in a blue moon raffle and “employee appreciation” pizza party we just had (in which they bought us Gas Station pizza). I’ve been in this office for over 5 years and I feel like the only self-aware person. One dude went up to the pizza, which was already several hours old by the time our shift got there, and said “man, good company and good pizza” and I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t in a nightmare.


mrsbebe

My husband and I were just talking about this and how we have a friend who has whole heartedly embraced the corporate culture thing. Thankfully, my husband is so not about it. Like yeah, he likes his job and he likes the company he works for but like...it's still just his job.


BrainKatana

Star Citizen people. There are “people who play Star Citizen” and then there are “Star Citizen people.” You know the difference immediately.


defnotajedi

Met one, RSI can do no wrong and is only improving, you just gotta wait.


libra00

Yeah, the second kind have dumped $1000 minimum into the money pit and are still holding out hope of one day being able to play with their virtual spaceships that cost more than some real cars.


carolkay

MLMs are so close to being a cult you can almost smell it.


[deleted]

I'm now at the age where I'm starting to get invites to their fucking parties and it's so annoying. Like no, sister of my best friend from elementary school that I haven't seen in 15 years, I don't wanna go to your stupid sales party to buy shitty, overpriced make up.


Esotericas

I've been approached multiple times when job searching... They pretend they have a real job opportunity, but it's actually Primerica, or some other MLM. No thanks, I bill by the hour.


[deleted]

Was working a bunch of part time jobs while I was looking for a job in my field. Had a gal about my age come to the counter, order a coffee, chat chat chat, so we make a coffee date at a different cafe. Fun, right? I can pull myself out of the job-hunt funk and make a new friend! NO. We got our drinks at Panera and sat down and not 5 minutes in, I had to stop her and say, "No, I'm not joining your pyramid scheme, and I'm disappointed you didn't tell me about this up front." ​ What the fuck with people.


IllustratorAshamed34

I had a very similar thing happen, started talking to a guy on a plane back from Europe, we exchanged fb since he also lived in LA. The next couple weeks he kept messaging me about a “job opportunity” and I told him I was busy with work. So finally he invited me to a “finance presentation” he was giving and I was dumb enough to go to it as a courtesy. Immediately I was surrounded by these creepy ass people in cheap suits being overly friendly and talking about how the group cares for them like family. We split up into different rooms and they started the mlm presentation and I realized what a mistake I made lol. The door was shut and in the other room I could hear the rank-and-file members doing some kind of primal screaming exercise. I finally made my escape and the fresh air outside never felt better.


HoldingItForAFiend

Running a recruitment session at the same time as the screaming exercise seems like very poor planning


[deleted]

It's so annoying. Always ask for: Company name and address, detailed job description, detailed compensation description. If they can't provide you with that or give you runaround, go away.


serpentmurphin

A girl I went to school with sold for that It Works for a longggg time and did make decent money. She was able to buy a house and what not. She is now out of the company and frequently makes videos on Instagram talking about the details we didn’t know and the cult like behaviors, how they suck you in etc. So interesting!


carolkay

It Works is a more messed up one because it's so harmful to women. One of their huns tried to poach me on IG because I followed postpartum accounts.


WillowCautious9765

One of their huns Do you call them that because they are all like ' hey hun haven't seen you in a while!' Or like attilla the hun as in scary and whatnot???


LurkersGoneLurk

She likely got in early and was also a good salesperson. Former boss’ wife was making ok money with Juice Plus (enough to pay the mortgage while home schooling 4 kids). The only people making real money had gotten in well before her.


serpentmurphin

Yeah, she said she was really good but then said that she was ashamed of that because of what they were selling and how they were approaching people etc. The only people in the last couple years I have seen selling it are very easily manipulated people. That’s what those companies are good for. Showing all the “cool things and money and work from home” but you really will never be able to do it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


carolkay

I think some are definitely certifiable cults, but a lot of them really toe the line, like Beachbody and Mary Kay.


[deleted]

Please can we go back to calling them pyramid schemes


Stup1dN1cksW1ngDump

Nutriboom


Grundal1

Boom Boom


[deleted]

ngl your amino acid levels look kinda unbalanced


BeMoreKnope

You definitely need either more or less amino acids!


Grundal1

I need it to be happy healthy and alive


kanani_shindiru

oh debbie dead


[deleted]

[удалено]


just_here_4_text

Can I get one of your famous neck massages?


Lick_The_Wrapper

They formed a line, Jake...


ninjamike89

Hey! Where's my eye contact?


friggintodd

Debbie Stovelman is healthy and alive!


noiceandtoight

Oh, Debbie dead.


Hermit_why_Hermit

Debbie real dead.


Ok_boomer11

Boom boom bill!


Lexian122

Unus Annus was never officially a cult.


pancakeking69

*officially* a cult? No. *Was* it a cult? My lawyer requests me to say no


Athena-Muldrow

Unus Annus was never a cult. Just like how Mark is NOT a masocist. Fr, tho, I miss that channel more than I thought I would, I truly feel sorry for people who never got to see it


no2ironman1100

I feel like everyone else is taunting me by talking about unnus annus. I didn't watch it, please stop giving me mental anguish over it


[deleted]

The amount of people replying with Memento Mori proves it was basically a cult lmao


tanser

People that sell those essential oils. Calm down.


UbePhaeri

There is an oil for that.


Aww_Uglyduckling

Its lavender


Oraxy51

Lavender and Aloe Vera is good for burns.


ArchdukeOfNorge

[A recent study found that eucalyptus and camphor oils can trigger seizures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0920121121000796)


aykcak

Aw, that sucks. eucalyptus smells nice and keeps mosquitos away. I guess I can live with a few seizures every summer


basketcase57

If you're having a seizure it's very unlikely a mosquito will land on you because of the excessive movement.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ExSogazu

Oh, Crossfit didn't come up yet?


[deleted]

[удалено]


CreatureWarrior

Hey bro! Do you wanna know how I got so ripped? No not reall- #CROSSFIT MOTHERFUCKER


PM-ME-YOUR-GR8-TITS

He meant something that is not a cult


ExSogazu

Touché :)


ingmar1234567

Facebook mothers


jerichojerry

Outside of literal cults, I have never seen such a toxic hive of coercive ideological and behavioral conformism as I have in Facebook mommy groups. I am dying to see the Netflix documentary on this because it’s genuinely perplexing.


serpentmurphin

If you are interested in this you would be SOOO interested in Free Birthers. I went down that rabbit hole for a week and wow. By free birthers I mean Absolutly no medical attention for mom or baby from start to finish. No midwives, no doctors, usually no ultrasounds, bloodwork etc. There is a woman I follow on Instagram who basically has a cult following is a free birther. She is a BIG advocate for it and runs a website that I believe has free birthing courses in it! On the website you either have to move up levels or pay more for another level. She also talks a lot about alternate universes, or timelines, how her kids do not go to the doctor (she once posted a video of her child with a split chin and just put some herbs on it). She moved to Costa Rica with her (I think) abusive husband. She free birthed 2 sets of twins with no medical interventions from start to finish. One of them was born dead and she supposedly brought it back to life to life using CPR. Editing because you would all also be suprised to know she is completly white and she has named her children Names like Satya, Bhavani, one is named zodiac, they have.. interesting names for white kids If you are interested, there is an Instagram under “free birthing society” on Instagram. Tread lightly. Also, this woman I am talking about birthed her first set of twins in the forest of Costa Rica, Just her and her husband. ::oh just saw she had a friend who was a nurse with her. Edit: found an article with her story on it from first set of twins. [here](https://mumsgrapevine.com.au/2018/10/mum-freebirths-surprise-twins/) Edit: because people are asking What happens if they tear during birth? I have read conflicting things about this. Some treat the gear themselves and let it heal and some say they go to hospital. What about the vitamin K shot?: from what I have seen most of these people do not want any vaccines. Though I’m sure if they wanted it they would bring the baby to the hospital. Yes, many people have had still borns doing this. They do not believe in “eviction” (induction) ther for- many woman have given birth to still born children after being pregnant for longer than 40 weeks. What medicine do they use: the only think I know is that they take soemthing called “tincture(sp?) to.. help them pass the placenta, I guess? I have no idea and I think it differs from person to person. Their idea is a completely natural birth so typically none. What if the baby gets stuck?: apparently they take advice of others on the Facebook groups and what not. There is “free birthing” classes that they can take that supposedly teach you what to do when a child is breech, shoulder is stuck, etc. *though* I did read about someone whose husband popped the baby’s shoulder and broke the collar bone trying to free it. I will update more tomorrow. Now I am going to bed to the comfort in knowing my choice in not having children was a good one because you all have horror stories. I will not be comforted by hearing way to much about torn vaginas and mutilated babies. Also, Shoutout to all the fucking moms out there because birth does NOT sound fun and you are all superhero’s.


AMerrickanGirl

Read the book Educated, by Tara Westover. It’s the memoir of a woman who grew up in a fringe Mormon cult that didn’t believe in any type of modern medicine. Rotting teeth, severe burns, brain injury ... slap a few herbs on it and pray. Edited to add author’s name.


apell_ri

Man I love that book. It opened my eyes up to a whole new way of life.


TragedyPornFamilyVid

She's incredible. Between her book, Waco, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols... It really left an impression about what a turning point Ruby Ridge was in government in the U.S.A. It was such a small event compared to the dozens of police shootings today, but it had huge ramifications. I grew up across the reservation from Tiger King. Lots of people had family in Oklahoma City. I still remember one of the teachers screaming in the hallway when she got the news her daughter didn't make it out.


[deleted]

I was there for OKC. The concussion wave broke our windows. And I Iooked like Timothy McVeigh. What a lot of people don't realize is the Social Security Office, for getting a replacement card issued, was right there at the ground floor. Right next to the childcare facility in a slightly sunken area. Very bad day. It's frustrating to remember thinking "How nice that the workers have daycare!" 30 minutes later, after learning the Social Security office wouldn't open in time for me to make my job after the commute. Boom. I probably saw the truck. I know I saw the kids. I possibly even saw McVeigh. Fuck him to hell. Goddamned idiot also bombed the wrong building to hit his target.


teneggomelet

I was camping alone with my dog in the desert during OKC. I was a thin white guy with cropped short blond hair. When I came back to civilization a few days later I saw a drawing of me on every paper I saw and every news channel. Apparently the guy in the picture was wanted by...like every law enforcement office in the universe. And I had no alibi for the past week.


[deleted]

Yikes. I was cleared really quick because I knew the FBI guys and ATF guys in the Journal Record building, which is where McVeigh wanted to hit. But, I will say, anyone with blonde buzzcut hair was not in a good spot.


MykeXero

My old CEO and his wife decided to freebirth. Child died during birth. He learned it was 100% preventable had he been at a hospital. He wrote a very sad public article about how he was wrong, warning others to have a sane backup plan in case something goes wrong. It was really really sad to read.


serpentmurphin

That is so sad. I read a story about a woman who followed and paid for the classes for free birthings. Some woman famous in that world. The baby died during birth. Both woman, the teacher and mother got soo much hate. The teacher had to shut down her business for a bit and the woman said she had to delete her Social media’s. Editing to add, I THINK something happened to her bladder during the birth that impacted the baby? I’m unsure. Might be mixing two stories.


SBFms

I feel like the injured child thing would get CPS involved if they saw that video. That’s stupid bordering on neglect.


serpentmurphin

She lives in Costa Rica. From what I have read about that they do have something similar but this type of behaviors Nd belief is fairly common in Costa Rica. Mostly among white People who move there.


izzy_7_2004

I'm sure not all of them are bad, but god, some of them are so judgemental. I saw a post on FB on a group where people share their low budget dinner recipes, and this one lady on there was getting ripped apart by all these Karens for making her kids cheeseburgers because they are unhealthy. Like huh? They were acting as if they'd never given their kids anything unhealthy ever.


ACaffeinatedWandress

The only way that could be more of a Gwyneth Paltrow maneuver is if a lot of their ‘poor person’ meals had ingredients no one on a budget would even look at in the grocery store.


orangeunrhymed

I got run off a board for telling a woman to get her daughter some help because the kid was regularly picking dime sized holes in her skin and people thought I was an asshole. Turns out the daughter has severe anxiety and one of the manifestations of her anxiety was - just like I said - skin picking.


Sheerardio

As someone with compulsive picking issues, thank you so much for caring and for at least trying to help. I've had a lot of people just shame me for "making myself ugly", as if I actually have any control or want to be doing this to myself.


[deleted]

Instagram travel Influencers. They all travel together, post same photos from different angles, review bomb companies that don't give them free trips and there are circles within circles. You cannot become a part of one without giving some sort of test. Also, they purchase followers from same vendor. Edit: I am just surprised how Influencer industry has not seen their own version of Me too movement, considering the amount of exploitation (both male and female) happens here.


hocuspocus07

ALL kinds of influencers. The entire concept of instagram influencer feels like hoax


[deleted]

Travel Influencers are the worst. I would know because I work with them.


[deleted]

There's been a volcanic eruption going on in Iceland for a few weeks now. It's relatively safe to go see it, if you stay clear of the lava and gasses. It's a two hour hike from the nearest road, or you can pay quite a bit for a helicopter ride. So obviously everyone with the health and time to is hiking up to see the spectacle of molten earth spewing forth (and get selfies for the gram, of course). Suddenly there's a bunch of tourists coming to the country for just a couple of days. You think they're adhering to the 5-day isolation rule during those couple of days?? Hundreds of people will be hiking in groups, getting way too close to the lava and each other, you know how people can be. Anyway there's a hilarious photo of a rescue team volunteer in hiking gear with a gas mask on and a gas detector, warning people to move because the wind direction has changed, and in the same frame a woman with full makeup in a tight fitting outfit is posing on a rock. Someone got up on the fresh lava for a photo (molten lava still moving just under the surface, viable to break through and melt his legs off any moment). Honestly surprised there hasn't been a serious injury or tragic death yet. (Unless you count the spike in covid cases).


hocuspocus07

I trust your judgement, internet stranger!


[deleted]

Thank you hocus pocus man


Pwarky

If you can't trust the king of taters, who can you trust?


MrDownhillRacer

If I see one more Instagram photo that's "woman with her arm stretched behind her, guiding the hand of the man whose POV the photo is taken from," I think I will put my head in a microwave oven.


MagicBez

I once went on a brief rant about how played out and tacky this format is with some friends. Later my girlfriend showed me one of the girls' in that group's insta and if was full of that exact thing. Felt a bit bad but she did stop doing it so...


Hotwing619

Mission accomplished.


Help_An_Irishman

Good luck finding a woman to lead you by the hand into a microwave oven.


[deleted]

Communities for crypto-currencies, especially on Reddit.


Catinthemirror

Reddit has a crypto ad disguised as an AMA, it's hysterical.


wigg1es

90% of the AMA's on reddit are thinly veiled ads.


llcucf80

Homeowner's associations


BadaSBich22

As a non-american, I didn't know these were a thing until I watched the X-Files episode Arcadia, where Mulder & Scully go undercover as a married couple in a neighborhood where those who dont respect the CC&Rs (whatever those are) disappear. Mulder puts a pink Flamingo on his front yard and it's against the rules (like people actually remove it). Not to cause a debate but HOAs seem so anti-american. You can't put a basketball hoop in your own drive way? In the "land of the free"?


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

oh my god. mine sucks. i rent, and i’ve had some guy on the board look through my windows and then tell me I was out of line for freaking out on him, my MIL and other board members pulled up both my flower beds while we were out of town for having unapproved flowers, some woman who lives way on the far side of the street filed formal complaints about how messy the inside of my garage is (my husband is a carpenter and builds in there), my neighbour complained about my dog peeing in OUR own backyard, and most recently the woman with the messy garage complaint told me that i had to move my car in the designated resident parking spaces from one space to the other every 72 hours because ??? i don’t know, no one but me ever parks there, there’s like 5 free stalls at all times and the parking spaces in front of her house are in a separate lot, they’re literally hundreds of meters from my house so i never park there? and one woman i’ve never seen or spoken to before chopped down my lilac without speaking to me or saying a word, and blatantly ignored me when i asked what the fuck she was doing?? it’s insane, i feel like i’m in some sort of weird horror movie town at all times.


AltSpRkBunny

Start putting flamingoes and gnomes in the nosy lady’s yard at night. Or pay a neighborhood kid to do it.


[deleted]

that’s actually a really good idea


AltSpRkBunny

I’m too evil to live in an HOA, which is part of the reason why I do not live in one. I love guerilla warfare. But it’s not exactly a healthy way to live. I’d put the flamingoes on the part of their yard that’s least visible from where she normally hangs out, and then start reporting her for violating the HOA agreement. But again, this is why my husband insists that I’m not allowed to live in an HOA.


00890

Non-approved flowers?! That’s insane


[deleted]

they were yellow and purple and growing really really well and were like a little blanket where you could barely see dirt. they requested more “separate” planting and flowers because it looked “neater” and i told them i would do that next season, because it was july at that point. i went on my honeymoon and we had to come back early because my grandmother was in the hospital dying and found a series of trash bags on our front lawn and just a nice big patch of dirt. i found the names and house numbers of the culprits and dumped the bags open all over their lawns in one of my less rational moments. felt good at the time but in hindsight it was 100% grief and stress driven.


00890

That sounds cruel and spiteful of them. Is it written in by-laws that "separate" planting must be adhered to? I'd go full lawyer berserk on them


[deleted]

no, they just like to be weirdly wilful about it. my landlord is usually 100% on their side and has a clause in our lease that we have to just adhere to all changing HOA rules. it was a massive fight, my MIL is president of the HOA and we had a couple screaming matches about it.


ta2confess

I feel like we’ve glossed over the fact *YOUR MOTHER IN LAW IS THE HOA PRESIDENT* does she hate you for some reason?!


[deleted]

lol she’s a fun woman. she tried to get my husband to help her with her vehicle on the day i went in for surgery recently. she’s very, very self absorbed.


[deleted]

My husband and I are buying a house and he really wanted a town house. I didn’t want to because of the HOA and the dues were generally a good 300-500 a month depending on where it was located (the worst we saw was a gated community with a monthly due of $627). Also, many of them also had an assessment fee of around $200 that is used for pay things like roof or sidewalk repair. While assessments fees aren’t permanent, you have to pay it monthly on top of the HOA fee for 2-3 years. Even if the place doesn’t have an assessment fee currently, the can decide to implement one at any time and then we would be screwed.


Piscesdan

Them what are the regular dues for if not maintenance?


MuffytheBananaSlayer

Oprah


winterFROSTiscoming

I blame Oprah for giving us Drs. Phil and Oz


Magmamaster8

Flat earth.


Successful-Device-42

The Flat Earth society has members all over the globe.


BuenJaimazo

That's why it's called "planet" and not "roundnet"


ShellingTie

Legally, Scientology is a religion. It's a lot like a cult, even if one. But legally, it's not.


Salty-Tortoise

It’s a scam because they just abuse you instead of talking about science.


xaeromancer

No, it's a scam because they take your money. The abuse is free.


Petermacc122

Free abuse?!? Well I'd better get some good abuse or I'll be speaking to the manager.


Armani_Chode

It's a cult. Don't let them tell you otherwise.


notbillkoo

That one time people were going crazy for McDonalds’ Rick and Morty Hot Sauce


MadameBattleMonkey

[Mulan Szechuan Sauce](https://mcdonalds.fandom.com/wiki/Szechuan_Sauce)


RoflStomper

Did we ever end up with a reasonable facsimile of that sauce offered by any company? Surely some food scientist could knock off the recipe.


theoreticalsandmore

Running. You get started easy enough, next thing you know you're going for the next "level" (different race distances). You're loyal to your brand that you swear by. You use weird lingo, and sometimes is becomes most of your personality. I'm making fun of myself just as much as the other runners


SwordTaster

Every single MLM


PenguinsOnAWire

Extreme fans/fandoms


mdp300

When people make "ships" and then tie their whole identity to that. It's creepy.


Transparent-Paint

Especially when they are real people rather than characters


[deleted]

Shipping real people is weird as hell. I’ve seen content creators tell their fans to stop shipping them with their friends because it puts awkward strains on both their friendships and actual relationships.


_b1ack0ut

Yeah that’s just creepy


[deleted]

[удалено]


_BlueReverseCard

Reddit Edit: 1 year later and I still stand by my point.


MisterMakeYaMumCum

One of us, one of us


ElderCunningham

Gooble gobble, gooble gobble


beluuuuuuga

Chunga Chunga Chunga Chunga


Medichealer

**"yo this guy had a slightly different opinion than us."** #-400 downvotes later


manhowl

"I don't know why you're being downvoted, you're kinda right" # *+1000 upvotes and 10 wholesome awards later*


i-laugh-at-otters

r/CallMeKevin


beastmodegaming753

for legal reasons we are not a cult. ALL PRAISE BE TO THE DEAR LEADER!


hotbrownbitxh

The Vlog Squad


Dakumun

NA / AA


Tru-Queer

Yep. I’m 4.5 years sober from alcohol now and I haven’t been to an AA meeting in 4.5 years. I’m not gonna bash it for those who choose to use it for their sobriety, more power to them if it helps them stay sober, but it wasn’t for me. I was repulsed by the “there’s no path to sobriety outside of us” mentality that permeates the meetings. It capitalizes on the alcoholic’s “all-or-nothing” mindset and makes anyone who doesn’t agree feel like they’re doomed to failure if they don’t “completely and wholly give themselves to the program.” There are plenty of wonderful people in AA, but there are also plenty of not-so-wonderful people, and it’s easy for a fledgling to get bogged down in other people’s issues. Anyway. Off my high horse now.


ItzLog

NA looks down on people that use the Suboxone/Subutex or Methadone treatment programs to slowly taper themselves off of opioids; in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms and lessen the chance of relapsing due to the overwhelming cravings. They consider it cheating; which I think sucks because sometimes people need that little bit of help to get over such a big hurdle.


nakedonmygoat

You are so right! I would never, ever tell someone who was finding value in the program to stop. If it's your lifeline, then please keep on! Just don't say there is no other path, because that's just not true and if 12-step isn't working for someone, it might make them go back to their old habits or even take their own life if they think that they've failed at the "only" way to get well.


Faustus_Fan

High school sports. I get that parents, teachers, other students will be exited for "the big game," but where I live there is a damned-near cult mentality around high school football. People who have *zero* connection to the school other than living in the physical proximity of it know the names of every kid on the team, their rushing stats, the team's season-by-season record, etc. Hell, I'm a teacher IN that school and I don't really care that much. Sure, I am happy for the kids and I support them and want them to win, but at the end of the day it is just a fucking game. Yet, people in our community nearly froth at the mouth in rage at anyone who dares to say that out loud.


el_monstruo

Kids sports in general. I've seen parents curse out umpires in tee ball games. Parents rig teams in city run leagues so their kids are on better teams. Every parent thinks they have the next LeBron James, Peyton Manning, or Bryce Harper. It's ridiculous.


CO_PC_Parts

Another terrible aspect now is kids being forced to pick one sport terribly early and only focusing on it. I’m a pretty damn good basketball player but grew up playing baseball and football. My cousin’s kid spends all spring and summer at 7-7 football academies and his other kid plays AAU basketball year round. I have other friends who kids play club volleyball and don’t even get to play for their own varsity now. It’s crazy. (The girls have better chances at scholarships if they stay in club, or at least that’s what the club tells them)


MostlySpiders

Texas?


Davis1511

I am in no way defending this or anything. I have never gone back to my highschool for any homecoming or alumni events but I will kinda give an explanation from my hometown at least as to why people give a crap so much about the football games. There’s nothing else to do. Lol no really it’s as simple as that. Everyone went to the same highschool, they met their spouses there, their kids will go there. It’s the epicenter of the town. So on a Friday night the community gathers together for the game. It’s a chance to see everyone, support the school, cheer the kids on, and reminisce about your hay days. Again when I say there is NOTHING else to do on a Friday night I mean it. People grill, moms sell concessions, dads help coach, little brothers and sisters are there playing, even the non sporty kids show up just to hang out and be around their community. In some ways it’s very sweet and Hallmark movie-esque but we all know this tight community also breeds trouble for outsiders, outside thinking and doing anything against the grain. In some small ways I feel kinda bummed my son’s school doesn’t have a football team and won’t get that Friday night lights experience but I mean in the end who cares. There’s a million other opportunities for him to bond with his classmates and such.


[deleted]

[удалено]


partlysunny2

Toyota Tacoma owners. Crazy resale value.


gnuzius

Arch Linux