People repeat behaviour that leads to flooding their brains with pleasurable chemicals. The short-term reward loop acts over hours to years, and the long-term reproductive success loop over generations.

Cults, or related social movements such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, result in massive military expenses.

Brigham Young had 47 children, and over 50 women as wives.

Trying to control information in the network age is about as successful as pissing into the wind.

Could people be trained to be less gullible? Or are you as stuck with gullibility as you are with skin colour?

People under the influence of cults is similar to that we observe in addicts. Typical behaviour for both includes draining bank accounts, neglecting children, destroying relations with family and losing interest in anything except the drug or cult.

Children do not have to learn that streets are dangerous places by potentially fatal trial and error.