> They seemed very welcoming, sincere, and were kind and patient even when I was basically asserting that several of their beliefs were dumb

I don't think LessWrong is a cult (though certainly some of their offshoots are) but it's worth pointing out this is very characteristic of cult recruiting.

For cultists, recruiting cult fodder is of overriding psychological importance--they are sincere, yes, but the consequences are not what you and I would expect from sincere people. Devotion is not always advantageous.

Does insincerity, cruelty, unfriendliness, and impatience make a community less likely to be a cult?