I'll assume that the above was intended to be directed to me because it makes sense chronologically. EDIT: Okay, maybe not. Oh well. I'm posting this anyway because I wasted too much time already on a rant.
Believe it or not, I was crazy (and stupid) enough to start work on this piece as a complete beginner. I started with the mentality that if it wasn't perfect, it was "okay" because I wasn't a professional. Low standards. After three months, I had learned the notes and was able to "play" the piece at nearly full tempo. I posted a recording in the Audition Room.
perfect_pitch comes in and mercilessly slaps me across the face for having posted such a horrible "performance" of the 'Revolutionary' Etude. And I'm thankful for that. Yeah, I was disappointed, but what could I expect? I tried to improve on it for another month, but didn't see much progress. It turned out I had bad fingerings and only focused on 'getting the notes right'.
Along with being highly incompetent. Big mistake.
You have a choice to make (and I know how hard it is because I had to make it in the past).
You can really take the time to slow down and re-learn the piece ensuring that you MAINTAIN accuracy over speed, and finnesse over clumsiness...
or you can continue to play pieces in a manner that sounds like you're convulsing as you play.
If you have any love for the piano and any true passion for it, I hope it will be the first option. We've had way too many people in the past who went for option No. 2 and it didn't work out well.
I wish you the best of luck for this piece and hope you'll continue to work for true pianism and not just playing piano.
Dose of reality. An epiphany or something hit that made me force myself to take a step back and work diligently to come back to this piece again someday. It may take all the Bach in the world (which is only so much, haha), but I'm gonna do it.
However, I'm still stubborn enough to shoot unusually high. I'll see where I am in a year or so and try again. I'm not going to wait 8 years to play a freaking etude.

Advice if you do plan on attempting it: get a good copy with lots of notes and fingerings especially for the left hand since it is the focus of the work's technique study. DO NOT practice one piece for a very long time-you will hurt yourself.
Also, who is your fav pianist?
Apparently I made both of those mistakes. Lol.
I'm not sure how this is relevant, but probably a tie between Cziffra and Hamelin.