Cult of Personality

Besides being a 1989 song from the New York City band Living Colour, a cult of personality is a particularly pervasive political tactic most often used by political regimes that are totalitarian or socialist in nature. The regimes are in the business of altering and transforming a society according to what is marketed as “revolutionary new ideas” and “change”. More often than not, a single person is associated with the attempt to change and transform a society. This person is treated as benevolent, god-like and the only person who can bring about the desired change to a society in need. This is the justification for a cult of personality.

Since the decline of the Divine Right of Kings and the inception of democratic governments born out of the political ideals of the ancient Greeks, available technologies have played a very important role in fostering the development of personality cults. The spoken word, the printed word, imagery, recorded sound, photography, film, the internet and blogs are prime examples of media types that have all contributed greatly to the creation of personality cults.