"The Psychology of Totalitarianism" by Matthias Desmet
The FAIR LA Book Club will return in July 2023 with a discussion of Mattias Desmet's shocking 2022 book The Psychology of Totalitarianism. The discussion will be led by FAIR Los Angeles Communities Coordinator Arnold Huntley. Something interesting happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Societal institutions and governments found themselves having to manage the fears and behaviors of the general population. Desmet, a world-renowned professor of clinical psychology, deconstructs the societal conditions that allow collective psychosis to take hold. By looking at our current situation and identifying the phenomenon of “mass formation" (a type of collective hypnosis), he illustrates how close people can get even today to surrendering to totalitarian regimes.
Meeting Information:
- Date: July 26, 2023 (Wednesday)
- Time: 7:00PM to 8:30PM (PDT)
- Location: Online via Zoom.
RSVP at the link below and we will send you the Zoom meeting link on the day before the meeting.
Links to Get the Book:
Links About the Book:
In preparation for our book club discussion, check out the following links:
- The Pyschology of Totalitarianism – Headwind documentary featuring Desmet and mass formation theory. (YouTube – 1h 20m)
- Stay Free with Russell Brand – Interview and book review with Russell Brand. (YouTube – 9 min)
- The Mark Groves Podcast – Interview of Desmet by Mark Groves. (YouTube – 1h 8m)
- Tucker Carlson Today – Interview of Desmet by Tucker Carlson. (YouTube – 1h 1m)
- FirstFactCheck – Book review. (Substack– 7 min read)
Mattias Desmet has a Substack you can subscribe to at: