What Makes Freedom Vulnerable

Historically, mankind has been more inclined toward political leaders who are autocratic than those who protect liberty and freedom for their people.

The fact that America has kept the idea of personal freedom alive for 12 generations is an unprecedented human event. Yet freedom always hangs by a precarious thread, even after enduring for nearly two-and-a-half centuries.

It is forever threatened by what I call the deceptive allure of authoritarianism. As Erich Fromm explained so powerfully in his book Escape from Freedom, maintaining a society based on genuine principles of liberty is a daunting task.

Freedom mandates personal autonomy and self-responsibility. And being responsible for self often brings more anxiety that some people can bear. They are therefore forever susceptible to the enticing claim of authoritarian leaders that they can eliminate whatever gives rise to the anxiety.

This promise inevitably proves false, because autocratic leaders cope with their own anxiety by imposing repressive and intrusive regimes. More than one electorate, however, has been seduced by the the illusory promise of authoritarian movements.

Today's episode delves into the intrapersonal dynamics which bring such leaders to power. It highlights why the greatest threat to democratic governments is not a takeover by an external enemy, but by the internal threat of citizens quietly acquiescing to authoritarianism.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://www.upsizeyourleadership.com/episodes/2314--allure-of-authoritarianism.htm

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