Review and Response to “Cultish: the Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda Montell

I recently read the book “Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda Montell. It was a bit different than I expected, but still very much a worthwhile read.

If you are interested in language and cult-like organizations and followings, this is a great book for you. The idea behind the title is helpful to understand. The book is not solely about cults, but rather what makes something cultish. Cultish isn’t always a bad thing, as Montell will argue in the book. But it is important to have an understand of what makes something cultish. And for Montell, language is a key component. Cultish things have their own language that insiders know, understand, and use. That’s true of traditional cults, but also of health club.

So why is this topic so very important? As Montell says, “‘Cult language’ is, in fact, something we hear and are swayed by every single day. Our speech in regular life — at work, in Spin class, on Instagram — is evidence of our varying degrees of ‘cult’ membership.” (pg. 12)

Montell looks specifically at the role of leadership and the use of language. In a way, this is about the formation of a culture. “Language is a leader’s charisma. It’s what empowers them to create a mini universe — a system of values and truths — and then compel their…