Chapter 6 - Psychological Stepping Stones to Revolution

Summary

This chapter critically assesses the psychological stepping stones to people fully participating in revolutionary movements. The eight stepping stones are: that people become aware of an alternative ideal, feel deeply dissatisfied with their lives in the present society, see their dissatisfaction as not being their own fault, interpret the ruling regime as being responsible for their dissatisfaction, believe the ruling regime is illegitimate, conceive that it is possible to overthrow the ruling regime, have faith that the fall of the ruling regime will be followed by progress toward an ideal society, and be prepared to risk making serious personal and collective sacrifices in the cause of progress toward the ideal society. People passing through the eight stepping stones depend a great deal on psychological interpretations, and particularly on the social comparisons they make. Before the revolution, revolutionaries encourage people to make upward social comparisons – with better-off others, or themselves as they would be ideally. But after regime change, the new revolutionary government encourages people to make comparisons with people who are worse off than themselves.