Why are Mac users automatically labeled as maniacal followers?

The infamous “cult of Mac” has been associated with the Apple brand for decades, but now that the company’s products are getting more attention, is the whole idea getting out of control? I would say so.

No matter how many people own an iPod or one of those fast-selling iPhones, Mac users still take consistent abuse for their choice of computer. We’re merely shrugged off as a small minority who insist on being different and (allegedly) paying loads of money just for that Apple logo. But that’s not all… we’re also believed to be blind sheep who follow Steve Jobs’ every command. What kinds of commands he supposedly gives to us as his so-called troops, I’m not quite sure. Would you believe even the absurd thought of that scares people so much that they have vowed to never buy a Mac?

I was talking to a friend a few months ago and the topic turned to technology and computers. Of course, I took the opportunity to mention that Macs are virus-free and much more reliable in general compared to Windows PCs. I was met with the familiar tepid response Mac users know so well. This person refused to believe there could really be that much of a difference between Macs and PCs, and that I was just being a stereotypical smug Mac lemming. I was told I had lost all credibility because of my apparent bias towards Apple and that my friend had refused to buy a Mac out of fear they would somehow suffer the same fate.

I have since heard other people say the exact same thing and it made me wonder… why is being so enthusiastic towards a product that you want others to enjoy it as well considered to be such an off-putting and terrifying concept? Shouldn’t that kind of thing be met with interest and curiosity about the product instead? I understand some Mac faithful get out of control and do crossover into the aforementioned blind follower mode, but that can happen with anything in life. Politics immediately comes to mind. So what is it that makes it stick as a stereotype for all Mac users?

I’m inclined to believe people simply feel the need to label others, especially when they’re different from themselves. The basic mentality is, “Oh, he’s one of them. They can’t be trusted!” Why? Because it’s foreign and not within their established comfort zone. To people who have never tried them, Macs are entirely different beasts compared to Windows PCs. And when that’s combined with the pre-conceived notion that Mac users are fanatical cult members who think Apple can do no wrong, there’s inevitably going to be a tendency to slap a label on us and dismiss what they perceive to be our crazy rantings as hogwash.

It’s a classic “us vs. them” mindset and, unfortunately for Apple lovers everywhere, there’s not much we can do at this point. Aside from never talking about our beloved Macs again, that is. The cult nonsense has spread for so long that we might never see the end of it, even though Macs continue to gain market share and popularity. So next time an ill-informed Windows user gives you a hassle, throw some of this psychological babble at them. It just might take the focus off your admiration for Apple!