Anatomy of Revolutions

I recently finished the book “The Power of Habits” by Charles Dhigg. You can read my review here (http://www.amazon.com/review/R25DJDTI7RGZO4 ). One aspect which the author touches is about the Civil Liberties movement in USA in the 60s. He impresses that the situation was made perfectly, giving the right ingredients for a successful movement. Any movement has three ingredients:

1.       Trigger Event

2.       Build on the social ties to gain critical mass

3.       Slowly induce new habits/routines which replace the old ones and make the movement come to full-life

Initiation Stage: A trigger event is something which incites the fire. While there can be multiple events which seem like a trigger, there can be one good event which invokes the step-2. It is hard to predict the trigger event.

Growth Stage: Once this trigger happens, the second step is building on the “victim’s” close social ties. (Victim is a loosely used word here and indicates any person who is a part of the movement).  His social ties, immediate friends and family, expanded network who are willing to vouch for this person. These individuals stand as the pillars of the movement. They bring the multiplier effect in the initial days by doing the ground-work. By this ground work, they gather some more steam, in terms of weak-ties of social network. Through these weak ties which generally influence through peer-pressure or general societal principles which are considered virtuous or good or guiding influencers who press upon participation in the movement for stand it takes on the cause, all bring the bigger multiplier effect into picture. Hence a leader of the movement should actually have good social stature in his network and be able to influence the close-ties. While the cause will ensure influencing on the weak-ties. In most cases the victim and the leader will be different individuals. This is because a victim not necessarily will have an optimal social standing. Then in that case the leader (who emerges as the prime-pillar of standing) will take over the movement on his shoulders. He is responsible for the close-ties and weaker-ties influences.

Sustenance Stage: Now the next and the most long-driven part is the Induction of new routines/habits. This is where a successful leader stands. Through his influence or speeches or live-as-an-example, he induces the masses to do what is needed to sustain the movement. Sometimes these new acts may directly support the cause or sometimes they might become figurative for supporting the cause. This sustenance is what differentiates a successful movement from an unsuccessful one. This sustenance should exist till the actual change occurs or till thoughts of change has been sowed in the other party. It should not fizzle too early or not drag too late. The skill of the Leader lies in making him an acceptable leader, devising and giving the followers a path-breaking routine, imbibing these routines into acts of the followers.

When all three of these occur then the movement will be a successful one.