I was drawn into a cult at the age of 19, now many decades ago. Your analysis rings true. I left the cult after about three years but stayed in long past the point where I was ready to go because there were others I cared about. Two left with me. I survived intact. Most others didn’t. Despite the pressure I never completely lost my capacity for skepticism. When I reflect on my experience of the last three years I think that this early formative experience has left me largely immune to manipulation. When I first started to pay attention to the events of early 2020 I immediately recognized the deception. I can honestly say that I wasn’t fooled for even a moment, even though I felt completely alone in my assessment. Of course, I am unvaccinated, as are my children and grandchildren.