Instead of being members of a lower social status, those who had joined the People's Liberation Army received greater social status by simply being a part of the organization. Young men and women began to join with aspirations of moving up in social status and gaining power, particularly peasants and low-class workers. It is interesting to note that women were allowed to join, and it was a way for them to gain more recognition and social status, just like lower-class men.

Using the enthusiasm and optimism of the people joining, Mao had a more dedicated and loyal army. He would use this to his advantage, both within the nation and against enemies outside of it. Because of the military operations along the borders of Tibet and India, Mao had a reason to further develop the organization of the army. Both China and India claimed regions along their common border, and tensions had been rising for a few years, eventually culminating in the Sino-Indian War in the fall of 1962. The Chinese forces pushed the Indian forces back and then withdrew, creating a demilitarized zone. Following the success of the war, Chinese military leaders became increasingly more popular. As a result, people began to look at the leaders of this military victory as potential leaders of the country. This helped to better solidify the leadership with people who were more similar to Mao than the leaders who were controlling the current direction of the country. Even though Mao was not the only person to shift the purpose of the People's Liberation Army, he received most of the credit. This made the members much more loyal to him than to other leaders in the government. People were able to aspire to new positions, and they felt that this would only last as long as Mao was in power. This would provide ample motivation to ensure he remained a prominent figure, and Mao would use this to his advantage later to restore his role as the primary leader of the party.

The People's Liberation Army also played a large role in inspiring the thought processes of the younger people in the nation. As members of this organization began to be brought into the government, they had more sway, and it further elevated the People's Liberation Army's role in the nation, as Mao pointed to them as a great example of how the people of China should be.