B X Lee -- The Psychological Underpinning of Successful Revolutions
The Psychological Underpinning of Successful Revolutions An Analysis of the Spirit of the Times, Then and Now Bandy X. Lee Jul 31, 2026 As this revolutionary month draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on how much has been written, taught, and celebrated about the grand political events of 1776 in America and 1789 in France. We know their dates, their battles, their declarations, their constitutions, and the towering figures who came to symbolize them. We commemorate their anniversaries, but how much do we understand the psychological sources—really, resources —that underpinned these revolutions? Oppressive regimes are, in many ways, like violent offenders: they cease violating the rights of others only when they are stopped from doing so, and only to the extent that they are stopped. They do not relinquish power voluntarily, nor do they awaken one morning with a newfound respect for justice. The question, then, is: how can those who have been systematically deprived ...
