Book contents
- The Psychology of Revolution
- The Progressive Psychology Book Series
- The Psychology of Revolution
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1 A Psychological Perspective on the Puzzle of Revolution
- Part I Getting to Revolutionary Collective Action
- Part II Regime Change
- Part III What Happens after Revolutionary Regime Change?
- Chapter 7 Behavioral Continuity and Attempts at Perpetual Revolution
- Chapter 8 Cultural Carriers and the Failure of Revolutionaries to Reshape Behavior
- Chapter 9 The Role of Personality in Revolutions
- Part IV Reevaluating Revolutions
- Afterword: Revolutions as Acts of Collective Creativity
- Notes
- References
- Index
Chapter 9 - The Role of Personality in Revolutions
from Part III - What Happens after Revolutionary Regime Change?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 March 2024
- The Psychology of Revolution
- The Progressive Psychology Book Series
- The Psychology of Revolution
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1 A Psychological Perspective on the Puzzle of Revolution
- Part I Getting to Revolutionary Collective Action
- Part II Regime Change
- Part III What Happens after Revolutionary Regime Change?
- Chapter 7 Behavioral Continuity and Attempts at Perpetual Revolution
- Chapter 8 Cultural Carriers and the Failure of Revolutionaries to Reshape Behavior
- Chapter 9 The Role of Personality in Revolutions
- Part IV Reevaluating Revolutions
- Afterword: Revolutions as Acts of Collective Creativity
- Notes
- References
- Index
Summary
This analysis of the psychology of revolution has adopted a “from societies to cells” approach, where macro processes are given priority. However, micro-level factors such as individual-level personality traits also have an important role in revolutions. In this chapter, an assessment is made of the personality characteristics of revolutionary leaders, people who surround the revolutionary leader, the lay masses who follow and support the extremist revolutionary leader, and those who do not conform and obey according to the wishes of the revolutionary regime. The traditional research focus has been on the revolutionary leader, and in this analysis the key traits of these leaders are identified as Machaivellianism, pathological narcissism, craving for power, risk-taking, intolerance for ambiguity, illusions of control and grandeur, and charisma. The personality of the extremist revolutionary leader in particular shapes what happens after regime change. Typically, moderates get pushed aside and extremists take over, with radical programs such as the “Cultural Revolution” (as in China and Iran).
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Psychology of Revolution , pp. 133 - 152Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024