The Psychology of Totalitarianism

By: Mattias Desmet

Narrated by: Dan Crue

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

We bear witness to loneliness, free-floating anxiety, and fear giving way to censorship, loss of privacy, and surrendered freedoms. It is all spurred by a singular, focused crisis narrative that forbids dissident views and relies on destructive groupthink.

Totalitarianism is not a coincidence and does not form in a vacuum. It arises from a collective psychosis that has followed a predictable script throughout history, its formation gaining strength and speed with each generation—from the Jacobins to the Nazis and Stalinists—as technology advances. Governments, mass media, and other mechanized forces use fear, loneliness, and isolation to demoralize populations and exert control, persuading large groups of people to act against their own interests, always with destructive results.

In The Psychology of Totalitarianism, world-renowned Professor of Clinical Psychology Mattias Desmet deconstructs the societal conditions that allow this collective psychosis to take hold. By looking at our current situation and identifying the phenomenon of “mass formation”—a type of collective hypnosis—he clearly illustrates how close we are to surrendering to totalitarian regimes.

©2022 Mattias Desmet (P)2022 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Seminal work that will mark history

Desmet touches upon some of the most important aspects of existence, and opens key insights on how to better think of them.
The delivery is impressive, both enjoyable and easy to understand and follow along, which was no given on such difficult topics.

One of my best reads ever, possibly because I had come to the same conclusions myself and it feels comforting intellectually and humanly to know we’re many out there.

Superb!

Really terrific! Helped me make sense of the global insanity we have all been witnessing.

Very enlightening and well supported with helpful references

Good mix of historical facts and references of psychological/sociological books, theories and authors. Makes sense and one can see these factors at play in todays life. Gives insight into how people lose themselves to hate and are willing to believe things anyone else would realize is false. I will listen to repeatedly as well as some of the books he referenced.

extremely informative, eye opener.

this is aust read for everyone that ones to stay informed. well written, easy to understand and frightening.

challenging and hopeful

The argument presented can be frustrating at the level of particular evaluations of current, contentious issues, but Desmet successfully weaves together a provocative narrative. It is worth the challenge.

Great analysis of totalitarian societies

Although not in total agreement with his forecasting of results, he did a formidable job in the analysis of factors that lead totalitarians to control people. It is not surprising that individuals lacking willingness fall prey to the faux promise of protection or fear of the powerful, it is also true that some individuals stand against such ideas. He should had studied those brave souls, even if they were imprisoned or murdered. That would be the real salvation for the future.

Illuminating

This book is a short, easy, listen. Much like Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer," though, it punches way over it's weight.

So much of history is devoted to what happened. This book is devoted to the why. The proximate cause of this book was our collective response to the Covid crisis, just as Hoffer's masterpiece was concerned with understanding the Nazi phenomenon.

Desmet provides a useful lens through which to interpret history and current events, and anyone who would not find it useful should at least find it interesting.

Wow

What an absolutely profound and beautiful compilation of ideas. This book will change lives for he better.

A Birds Eye View of our World

This book does a great job of touching on sensitive subjects without casting judgment.

Very insightful

This is a very insightful book, helping to make sense of the crazy world we’re living in.