We used to think that revolutions are the cause of change. Actually it is the other way around: change prepares the ground for revolution.

Hoffer reverses a common causal story about upheaval. Rather than treating revolutions as the prime movers of history, he argues that deeper social, economic, and cultural shifts—dislocations in work, status, belief, and expectations—accumulate first. When these changes erode old institutions and make existing arrangements feel illegitimate or unworkable, revolutionary movements can then crystallize and claim to be the engine of transformation. The quote underscores Hoffer’s broader interest in mass movements: they often ride currents already set in motion, offering a dramatic narrative and organizational vehicle for changes whose roots lie in prior, less visible processes.