Revolutionary Personality

The author takes as his starting point the idea that men who rebel, despite many differences in character, resemble each other in some fundamental ways. He poses three questions: Why does a man become a revolutionist? What attributes of personality enable him to become an effective revolutionary leader? What psychological attributes enable a man to effect the transition to power? By focusing on the personalities of three important revolutionists he hypothesizes a model of a distinctive "revolutionary personality." Lenin, Trotsky, and Gandhi are discussed in terms of trust, pride, courage, industry, confidence, and drive-the values that result from the successful management of the problems of the various stages of psycho-sexual growth.

Originally published in 1967.

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