People with intense personal convictions are more likely to oppose authoritarian regimes.

Evidence

Just as environments vary in the extent to which they foster the expression of individual variability, so also do predispositions themselves vary. There is an extensive literature on the tendency of people to subordinate themselves to groups and consciously or unconsciously suppress their own views when they are in the company of others. But some individuals are remarkably resistant to such inhibitions and others have compliant tendencies (Allen, 1975; Asch, 1956; Janis, 1982). The intensity of psychological predispositions promotes expression of them. Most people suppress their impulses to challenge the regimes of authoritarian systems, but those with passionate convictions and strong character-based needs for self-expression or rebellion are more likely to oppose such regimes. (In doing so, they alter the environment, providing social support for their more compliant fellows to join them.) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1143

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the classic conformity literature (Asch, Janis) and to theories of why people resist authoritarian systems — echoes Hannah Arendt on the banality of obedience and Milgram-style situational pressure. — connects to: Attitudes called potentially fascist may actually be democratic resistance.; A fifth of German proletarian party supporters held authoritarian attitudes — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 709; High authoritarians readily support persecution of groups including their own. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 917 (+1 more)