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Otherwords
How Cult Leaders Use Language
Season 4
Episode 6
What do Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Hitler have in common? They were all obsessively studied by Jim Jones, the cult leader who convinced and coerced more than 900 members of his "People's Temple" to commit suicide in the Jonestown Massacre. All these figures are known as "charismatic leaders," people who inspire intense devotion or emotional attachment.
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7:00
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still gaps.

7:24
Why is gossip an integral part of human social structure?

5:56
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!

7:50
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language.

6:19
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE but they're older than you think.

6:08
There's evidence that sweating may be good for your psyche.

7:11
The word "Death" has a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.

7:21
We explore some of the popular words authors have created that are now in our lexicon.

11:23
Here are the deep misconceptions about African-American English (AAE).

11:26
Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?

6:59
We'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...

8:00
What can we learn about our relationship to monsters?