What Happens to Your Identity Under a Dictator

Psychology Today | 27.01.2026 22:49
The past offers crucial lessons about the psychological effects of living under authoritarianism, a growing threat worldwide. In the former Soviet Union, citizens developed what historians called a “double life,” maintaining a private self while displaying a public self loyal to the regime. A psychological split continues for many in Russia today, while some protest, speak out, and face negative repercussions for doing so.