"Drinking the Kool-Aid" - The Murderous Phrase
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The English phrase "Drinking the Kool-Aid" means to blindly and unquestioningly believe in an ideology or cause, even if it is dangerous or even deadly. The expression has a very macabre origin and dates back to the events in Jonestown, Guyana in November 1978.
At that time, cult leader Jim Jones convinced over 900 members of his "Peoples Temple" cult to drink a juice poisoned with cyanide. Most died, and some were even forced to do so violently. Jones convinced them with his delusional ideology that mass suicide was the only solution.
Contrary to popular belief, the drink was not "Kool-Aid" but "Flavor Aid," a cheaper rival product. Nevertheless, the phrase "Drinking the Kool-Aid" has prevailed.
Kool-Aid itself is a popular American powdered drink mix that is dissolved in water. It was invented in 1927 by Edwin Perkins and is now distributed by Kraft Heinz. The company emphatically distances itself from the use of its brand name in connection with the phrase and the tragedy of Jonestown.
Today, "Drinking the Kool-Aid" is often used figuratively when someone uncritically believes in something or gets carried away. The phrase is meant to warn against manipulation and blind obedience. However, for the victims of Jonestown and their relatives, the use of the expression is trivializing and disrespectful to the suffering they had to endure.
