Tip #53 Cult Tactics: Learn Them And Avoid Them

In my previous tip, I mentioned the cult tactic of renaming someone. It's an effort to take control of someone else's identity. It's also something people do thinking that they're being friendly and polite. Some people will even take the refusal to accept a new name, such as a nickname based on one's name, as being standoffish or taking oneself too seriously.

If you prefer to be called Raymond or Rachel and dislike being called Ray, people don't understand. After all, they're just trying to be friendly.
( Read more... )