Democratic Life Meetings, a tradition that had been around for years and still held a market, but the absolute majority were merely going through the motions.
Its main purpose included addressing the new situation by strengthening and regularizing political life within the organization, enhancing self-purification, self-renewal, self-improvement, and a whole lot of other things.
It was required at such meetings for Party members and cadres to mutually pull at each other's sleeves to offer suggestions, make others aware of their deficiencies; to dare to blush, to criticize, and to struggle, to make the other party sweat, feel shame, purify the soul, and such.