DR. WALLACE: Our cousin, who is bright and had a wonderful future, met some weird guy in college who talked her into dropping out of school and joining a fringe religious cult. Our entire family is shocked and disappointed, but there's nothing anyone can do.

She is now 19 years old, so she's an adult and we can't stop her. She had everything going for her, so it was really surprising for me to hear this. My question is, what causes people to join cults? I think it's because they're mentally weak. Or are they looking for some sort of acceptance they don't get somewhere else? What is up with this type of behavior? — Unhappy Cousin, via email

UNHAPPY COUSIN: Over the years, I've read many interesting articles and studies on this topic. Leading cult experts often say that young adults, especially students who are unsure of their futures, seek to belong to something and are vulnerable to their fear of adult life and the associated responsibilities that come along with growing up and being fully in charge of one's daily life.

Cult members come from all walks of life but do seem to have certain traits in common. People who answer yes to several of the following questions may be vulnerable to cult involvement.

Is the young adult:

— Unsure of his or her decision-making ability?

— Leaving home for the first time?

— Trying to "find" himself or herself?

— Finding it difficult to face the world as it is and wishing instead for a more harmonious, perfect world?

Many cults utilize this vulnerability by first seeking to isolate new members on a utopia-type farm somewhere in the remote countryside and then sending them, when converted, to more populated areas to sell literature, flowers or whatever product can bring in revenue to help support the clan.

SOFTBALL CAUSES FINGERNAIL FOCUS

DR. WALLACE: I'm hoping to try out for the girls' softball team at my high school over the next season or two, if we are lucky enough to restart sports once the pandemic subsides. Our coach told me that I could potentially be a good player but that I had to cut my fingernails short. I told him that wasn't a problem, and I did get them short so I could practice at home with my two older brothers, who are both good baseball players.

But now, since it might be a while before I ever get to even try out for the team, I think that I'd like to grow long nails again. I was wondering how long it would take me to have long nails (1/2 inch past my fingertips) once I stop cutting them. Do they grow back faster if I trim them just a little each week? — Softball Player, via email

SOFTBALL PLAYER: I'm fortunate to receive the regular public Mayo Clinic health letter. This wonderful publication provides me with a wealth of information on a wide variety of topics dealing with the human body. My files on this topic yield the following information about fingernails:

— The average fingernail grows about 1/8 of an inch a month.

— It takes four to six months to grow a completely new fingernail.

— The nail on the middle finger of your dominant hand grows the fastest.

— Nails grow faster during the day and in the summer than they do at night or during the winter.

— Men's fingernails grow more quickly than women's fingernails.

— Fingernail growth peaks in your 20s and 30s and then diminishes gradually over the remainder of your lifetime.

Finally, I did not find any information at all about nails growing back more quickly with a weekly trimming, so I am going to chalk that one up to an old wives' tale and say that it is actually not true.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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