One of the most important pieces of advice to youth in Mark Twain’s satire is to be aware of cults and stay mindful of them. There are a lot of repercussions of joining cults, which many youngsters fail to recognize. Moreover, these cults mostly target young people in the age group of 18-25 years and even younger, as they are one of the most vulnerable age groups. This makes it easier for them to convince young people to join their cult.
Therefore, advice to youth Mark Twain’s satire can help you stay away from these groups. Let us see why your youth need to stay away from cults and how they can live a healthy life instead.
Your Freedom is Restricted
As a non-cultist, you can roam in and around school, visit any territory, and go anywhere you want. However, for cultists, certain areas are restricted to visit, even in groups. They dare not visit such areas openly without being ordered. Even areas that are lively and booming with activities may be a no-go area for them.
Academic Decline
Academics aim to provide knowledge that will be useful to you as well as the whole community at large. So, after gaining admission to the institute of your choice, you may anticipate good results that can help you get a good job. Every student dreams and looks forward to a successful life after cool. However, involvement in cultism can jeopardize your goals.
Most cultists spend a significant amount of time drinking, smoking, partying, and other wasteful lifestyles. This leads to them having little or no time to concentrate and read books. They may not open their books even during the exam period due to many inconvenient activities. Many of them end up as drop-outs with bad results. This leads them to have no job, and they get into robberies, kidnappings, etc. When caught, they blame unemployment.
Live in Constant Fear
All cultists live in constant fear of the unknown. If you get involved in shedding blood one day, it may be your turn to fall. Even highly rugged people are the most conscious, even in random gatherings. They look for any signs of danger throughout their lives, whether it is in markets, school, or even in groups. They always seem to be on the run. Sometimes, it gets so bad that they have to leave the country and go somewhere no one can reach. The life of a person who is always on the run is a life full of frustration.
Moral Decline
No cultist has a clean moral life. They are instructed and trained to be hard and rugged, and show no mercy to the prey. Both males and females do fornication, smoke and drink heavily, raid hostels, harass people unnecessarily, engage in burglary, etc. These guys are morally poor. Many of them come from good homes that teach moral stability and, most times, pretend to be good people when in their homes.
Great Risk of Contracting Diseases
Most people in cults sleep with different men and women, and hence, it is common for them to have STDs. Sometimes, different mixed liquid substances are given to new converts, which may contain various forms of infections and diseases like HIV.
Unnecessary Hatred
In recent years, cults have been one of the most foolish causes of death to most youths. They are fed with a mentality of ‘to kill or get killed.’ Even if you think you won’t kill anyone, if you join the cult, you can get pressured to kill by your group, and you may need to obey them due to the law and code since there is no disobedience to orders without severe consequences. Remember that cults don’t value life.
Losing Your Loved Ones
Your dear parents and guardians may have to face utter shock when they learn you are involved in cult crashes or got expelled from school. They may pass through significant emotional trauma during that period. But in reality, you may not know how much shame, pain, and turmoil they may pass through.
You May Lose Your Life
Many young women and men have lost their lives due to their involvement in cultism.
How can Youngsters Protect Themselves from Cults?
- Learn to recognize common cult tactics.
- If stress is getting the best of you, you are more likely to be inclined to people selling happiness. So if you have difficulty coping with stress, seek help from reputable people.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and be wary of anyone who tries to discourage you from questioning.
- Also, be wary of inappropriately friendly people, people with simplistic answers to complex world problems who pressure you to do something you don’t really want to do, and people with invitations to free lectures, meals, and workshops.
To Sum Up
Remember that cultism is a wasteful lifestyle. Shun, reject and flee from it. Look for ways to protect yourself from it and seek help from trustworthy people.