One of the ways you can tell that a social structure is unhealthy (and even cultic) is by the presence of what I call "hierarchies of human worth."

The suffix "archy" means "to rule" or "to be first." Hierarchies are rigid structures that grade and order things from first to last, and if we apply order to things, hierarchies can be very useful.

Think of the PEMDAS hierarchy that helps you make sense of mathematical equations, or the flowchart hierarchy of a good computer program. Equations and programs simply wouldn't work without hierarchical processes.

But if humans and other living things are thrown into hierarchies, you will see damage to empathy, emotional functioning, and social functioning throughout the hierarchical system. You will also see violence -- physical, emotional, social, spiritual, sexual, relational, etc.  ...