They may be totally oblivious or indifferent to the devestation they inflict on others, something which they regard as neigher their problem nor their responsibility. Psychopaths rarely accept blame for their failures or mistakes. Blame is a powerful reinforcer of passivity and obedience, producing guilt, shame, terror, and conformity in the followers. Conversely, there is often stringent sexual control of the followers through such tactics as enforced celibacy, arranged marriages, forced breakups and divorces, removal of children from their parents, forced abortions or mandated births. For psychopaths, sex is primarily a control and power issue.
Marital fidelity is rare in the psychopath's life.
There are usually countless reports of extramarital affairs and sexual predation upon adult and child members of both sexes. The sexual behavior of the leader may be kept hidden from all but the inner circle or may be part of accepted group sexual practices. In any case, due to the power imbalance between leader and followers, sexual contact is never truly consensual and is likely to have damaging consequences for the follower. The flip side of this erratic life planning is the all-encompassing promise for the future that the cult leader makes to his followers. Many groups claim as their goal world domination or salvation at the Apocalypse.