To make a cult or cult mindset, one goal is bringing people into a semblance of sameness. This can be difficult to do because everyone is an individual and everyone is unique. We are all unique beings and all unique creations. We should not squander that away.
This technique of conformity works in a number of ways. The first is you set all the ground rules in the environment so if people act outside of these ground rules they are ostracized and punished, with physical punishments or ridiculed in the group dynamic. No individuality can be tolerated in groupthink herd mentality, or at least it's disfavored and looked upon as something negative.
The old identity is to be broken down completely. This is why there is the state of isolation, separation from the rest of the community, or the former way of the community if the larger community being changed as a whole. It is to break down the uniqueness of the individual, get rid of the true self. One's old identity has to be shed in order for this cult programming to be accepted.
The old identity that the person brought in has to be broken down so that a new molded personality can be built up that only acts in accordance with the group's agenda. This is why there has to be total conformity. Some methods to achieve this are uniforms, shaved heads, symbolism put on the same place on the body. Uniforms are there to bring the group into one form, as one mind, one controlled mind, not as several forms. It creates the illusion of sameness and appearance.
There are also techniques to employ sameness in behavior and speech. The idea of having to answer in a certain way, with a certain level of volume, you have to stand a certain way when you say it, start or end a phrase with a keyword “sir, yes sir.” All of these are techniques to induce conformity in the herd and get them to completely look at whoever their master is at any given time as the authority. The chain of obedience. Sameness and speech and behavior has to be emphasized as a value, as what you aspire to.
This is all done to eventually get a person to abandon their conscience. They have already abandoned personal responsibility by then going to group. They asked the group to handle the problems for them, the conditions of security and predictability are favorable for this type of mind, I don't want any surprises in their life, they want that sameness. It is all based on fear of a person who really doesn't want to take a look at themselves and deal with the world as it really is.