The Origin Of The Saying
The Origin Of The Saying
In November of 1978, the world was shocked by the suicide deaths of 913 members of the People's Temple cult. Jim Jones, the leader of the group, convinced his followers to move to Jonestown, Guyana, a remote community that Jones carved out of the South American jungle and named after himself. Jones constantly feared losing control of his followers. His paranoia was the main reason he moved the cult to Guyana.
The mass suicide occurred after U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan of California and a team of reporters visited the compound to investigate reports of abuse. After some members tried to leave with the congressman’s group, Jim Jones had Ryan and his entourage ambushed at the nearby airstrip. He then ordered his flock to commit suicide by drinking grape-flavored Kool-Aid laced (some say FlaVor-Aid®) with potassium cyanide.
The mass suicide wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. During the weeks that preceded the dreadful event, Jones had conducted a series of suicide drills, according to survivors. An alarm call would sound and every person in the camp would line up to receive a fatal dosage. These exercises in insanity proved that all of the adults at the compound knew what would be the result of their actions.
The People’s Temple did not start off as your average mind-controlling cult. It initially gained much respect as an interracial mission for the sick, homeless and jobless. Jim Jones did not manifest his darker side until near the end.
One lasting legacy of the Jonestown tragedy is the saying, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” This has come to mean, "Don’t trust any group you find to be a little on the kooky side." Of course, you would have to know of Kool-Aid’s dubious connection to Jim Jones to understand the proverb.
One lasting legacy of the Jonestown tragedy is the saying, “Do not drink the Kool-Aid.” This has come to mean, "Do not trust any group or leader simply because they appear to have mass support (the group, media, government, et cetera)". Of course, you would have to know of Kool-Aid’s dubious connection to Jim Jones to understand the proverb.
"Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil;
neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest
judgment:" [Exodus 23:2]
"Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour" [1 Peter 5:8]
Especially if someone from the government or media says something, do not believe it. Check and recheck the information and be open to the truth.
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