On the Authoritarian Personality 4:20 am / 11 February 2010 by Administrator, at schalom libertad
We misunderstand altogether the authoritarian personality type if we construe it as a function of a particular politico-economic ideology; the well-known oscillation before 1933 of millions of voters between the National Socialist and the Communist parties is no accident when considered in terms of social psychology. American research has established that this type of personality structure does not correlate easily with politico-economic criteria. It must be defined, rather, in terms of character traits such as thinking within the paradigm of power-powerlessness; rigidity and the inability to react; conventionality; conformist behavior; lack of self-reflection; and finally an altogether deficient capacity for experience. Authoritarian types identify with real power as such, prior to any particular content. Basically, they have only weak egos at their disposal, and thus need, as a substitute, to identify with large collectivities whose protection they seek.“
- Adorno, Theodor. „What Does Coming to Terms with the Past Mean?“, 1959.