The cult of personality that surrounded Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union led soviet citizens to believe that there was undisputed support for Stalin both among the government and the common people. In turn, this fueled self-censorship and made political change harder.
This cult of personality was achieved through propaganda and censorship, as the Communist Party had control of all mass media. This desire to make himself a "god-like" figure was also an attempt to increase acceptance of communism among the people and to boost morale.