the crowd-第5章

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nd　always　go　to　extremesTheir　sentiments　always　excessive。　　　4。　　THE　INTOLERANCE；　DICTATORIALNESS；　AND　CONSERVATISM　OF　CROWDS。　　The　reasons　of　these　sentimentsThe　servility　of　crowds　in　the　face　of　a　strong　authorityThe　momentary　revolutionary　instincts　of　crowds　do　not　prevent　them　from　being　extremely　conservativeCrowds　instinctively　hostile　to　changes　and　progress。　　　5。　THE　MORALITY　OF　CROWDS。　　The　morality　of　crowds；　according　to　the　suggestions　under　which　they　act；　may　be　much　lower　or　much　higher　than　that　of　the　individuals　composing　themExplanation　and　examples　Crowds　rarely　guided　by　those　considerations　of　interest　which　are　most　often　the　exclusive　motives　of　the　isolated　individualThe　moralising　role　of　crowds。


Having　indicated　in　a　general　way　the　principal　characteristics　of　crowds；　it　remains　to　study　these　characteristics　in　detail。

It　will　be　remarked　that　among　the　special　characteristics　of　crowds　there　are　severalsuch　as　impulsiveness；　irritability；　incapacity　to　reason；　the　absence　of　judgment　and　of　the　critical　spirit；　the　exaggeration　of　the　sentiments；　and　others　besideswhich　are　almost　always　observed　in　beings　belonging　to　inferior　forms　of　evolutionin　women；　savages；　and　children；　for　instance。　　However；　I　merely　indicate　this　analogy　in　passing；　its　demonstration　is　outside　the　scope　of　this　work。　　It　would；　moreover；　be　useless　for　persons　acquainted　with　the　psychology　of　primitive　beings；　and　would　scarcely　carry　conviction　to　those　in　ignorance　of　this　matter。

I　now　proceed　to　the　successive　consideration　of　the　different　characteristics　that　may　be　observed　in　the　majority　of　crowds。


1。　IMPULSIVENESS；　MOBILITY；　AND　IRRITABILITY　OF　CROWDS。


When　studying　the　fundamental　characteristics　of　a　crowd　we　stated　that　it　is　guided　almost　exclusively　by　unconscious　motives。　　Its　acts　are　far　more　under　the　influence　of　the　spinal　cord　than　of　the　brain。　　In　this　respect　a　crowd　is　closely　akin　to　quite　primitive　beings。　　The　acts　performed　may　be　perfect　so　far　as　their　execution　is　concerned；　but　as　they　are　not　directed　by　the　brain；　the　individual　conducts　himself　according　as　the　exciting　causes　to　which　he　is　submitted　may　happen　to　decide。　　A　crowd　is　at　the　mercy　of　all　external　exciting　causes；　and　reflects　their　incessant　variations。　　It　is　the　slave　of　the　impulses　which　it　receives。　　The　isolated　individual　may　be　submitted　to　the　same　exciting　causes　as　the　man　in　a　crowd；　but　as　his　brain　shows　him　the　inadvisability　of　yielding　to　them；　he　refrains　from　yielding。　　This　truth　may　be　physiologically　expressed　by　saying　that　the　isolated　individual　possesses　the　capacity　of　dominating　his　reflex　actions；　while　a　crowd　is　devoid　of　this　capacity。

The　varying　impulses　to　which　crowds　obey　may　be；　according　to　their　exciting　causes；　generous　or　cruel；　heroic　or　cowardly；　but　they　will　always　be　so　imperious　that　the　interest　of　the　individual；　even　the　interest　of　self…preservation；　will　not　dominate　them。　　The　exciting　causes　that　may　act　on　crowds　being　so　varied；　and　crowds　always　obeying　them；　crowds　are　in　consequence　extremely　mobile。　　This　explains　how　it　is　that　we　see　them　pass　in　a　moment　from　the　most　bloodthirsty　ferocity　to　the　most　extreme　generosity　and　heroism。　　A　crowd　may　easily　enact　the　part　of　an　executioner；　but　not　less　easily　that　of　a　martyr。　　It　is　crowds　that　have　furnished　the　torrents　of　blood　requisite　for　the　triumph　of　every　belief。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　go　back　to　the　heroic　ages　to　see　what　crowds　are　capable　of　in　this　latter　direction。　　They　are　never　sparing　of　their　life　in　an　insurrection；　and　not　long　since　a　general；＇2＇　becoming　suddenly　popular；　might　easily　have　found　a　hundred　thousand　men　ready　to　sacrifice　their　lives　for　his　cause　had　he　demanded　it。


＇2＇　General　Boulanger。




Any　display　of　premeditation　by　crowds　is　in　consequence　out　of　the　question。　　They　may　be　animated　in　succession　by　the　most　contrary　sentiments；　but　they　will　always　be　under　the　influence　of　the　exciting　causes　of　the　moment。　　They　are　like　the　leaves　which　a　tempest　whirls　up　and　scatters　in　every　direction　and　then　allows　to　fall。　　When　studying　later　on　certain　revolutionary　crowds　we　shall　give　some　examples　of　the　variability　of　their　sentiments。

This　mobility　of　crowds　renders　them　very　difficult　to　govern；　especially　when　a　measure　of　public　authority　has　fallen　into　their　hands。　　Did　not　the　necessities　of　everyday　life　constitute　a　sort　of　invisible　regulator　of　existence；　it　would　scarcely　be　possible　for　democracies　to　last。　　Still；　though　the　wishes　of　crowds　are　frenzied　they　are　not　durable。　　Crowds　are　as　incapable　of　willing　as　of　thinking　for　any　length　of　time。

A　crowd　is　not　merely　impulsive　and　mobile。　　Like　a　savage；　it　is　not　prepared　to　admit　that　anything　can　come　between　its　desire　and　the　realisation　of　its　desire。　　It　is　the　less　capable　of　understanding　such　an　intervention；　in　consequence　of　the　feeling　of　irresistible　power　given　it　by　its　numerical　strength。　　The　notion　of　impossibility　disappears　for　the　individual　in　a　crowd。　An　isolated　individual　knows　well　enough　that　alone　he　cannot　set　fire　to　a　palace　or　loot　a　shop；　and　should　he　be　tempted　to　do　so；　he　will　easily　resist　the　temptation。　　Making　part　of　a　crowd；　he　is　conscious　of　the　power　given　him　by　number；　and　it　is　sufficient　to　suggest　to　him　ideas　of　murder　or　pillage　for　him　to　yield　immediately　to　temptation。　　An　unexpected　obstacle　will　be　destroyed　with　frenzied　rage。　　Did　the　human　organism　allow　of　the　perpetuity　of　furious　passion；　it　might　be　said　that　the　normal　condition　of　a　crowd　baulked　in　its　wishes　is　just　such　a　state　of　furious　passion。

The　fundamental　characteristics　of　the　race；　which　constitute　the　unvarying　source　from　which　all　our　sentiments　spring；　always　exert　an　influence　on　the　irritability　of　crowds；　their　impulsiveness　and　their　mobility；　as　on　all　the　popular　sentiments　we　shall　have　to　study。　　All　crowds　are　doubtless　always　irritable　and　impulsive；　but　with　great　variations　of　degree。　　For　instance；　the　difference　between　a　Latin　and　an　Anglo…Saxon　crowd　is　striking。　　The　most　recent　facts　in　French　history　throw　a　vivid　light　on　this　point。　　The　mere　publication；　twenty…five　years　ago；　of　a　telegram；　relating　an　insult　supposed　to　have　been　offered　an　ambassador；　was　sufficient　to　determine　an　explosion　of　fury；　whence　followed　immediately　a　terrible　war。　Some　years　later　the　telegraphic　announcement　of　an　insignificant　reverse　at　Langson　provoked　a　fresh　explosion　which　brought　about　the　instantaneous　overthrow　of　the　government。　　At　the　same　moment　a　much　more　serious　reverse　undergone　by　the　English　expedition　to　Khartoum　produced　only　a　slight　emotion　in　England；　and　no　ministry　was　overturned。　　Crowds　are　everywhere　distinguished　by　feminine　characteristics；　but　Latin　crowds　are　the　most　feminine　of　all。　　Whoever　trusts　in　them　may　rapidly　attain　a　lofty　destiny；　but　to　do　so　is　to　be　perpetually　skirting　the　brink　of　a　Tarpeian　rock；　with　the　certainty　of　one　day　being　precipitated　from　it。

2。　　THE　SUGGESTIBILITY　AND　CREDULITY　OF　CROWDS。


When　defining　crowds；　we　said　that　one　of　their　general　characteristics　was　an　excessive　suggestibility；　and　we　have　shown　to　what　an　extent　suggestions　are　contagious　in　every　human　agglomeration；　a　fact　which　explains　the　rapid　turning　of　the　sentiments　of　a　crowd　in　a　definite　direction。　　However　indifferent　it　may　be　supposed；　a　crowd；　as　a　rule；　is　in　a　state　of　expectant　attention；　which　renders　suggestion　easy。　　The　first　suggestion　formulated　which　arises　implants　itself　immediately　by　a　process　of　contagion　in　the　brains　of　all　assembled；　and　the　identical　bent　of　the　sentiments　of　the　crowd　is　immediately　an　accomplished　fact。

As　is　the　case　with　all　persons　under　the　influence　of　suggestion；　the　idea　which　has　entered　the　brain　tends　to　transform　itself　into　an　act。　　Whether　the　act　is　that　of　setting　fire　to　a　palace；　or　involves　self…sacrifice；　a　crowd　lends　itself　to　it　with　equal　facility。　　All　will　depend　on　the　nature　of　the　exciting　cause；　and　no　longer；　as　in　the　case　of　the　isolated　individual；　on　the　relations　existing　between　the　act　suggested　and　the　sum　total　of　the　reasons　which　may　be　urged　against　its　realisation。

In　consequence；　a　crowd　perpetually　hovering　on　the　borderland　of　unconsciousness；　readily　yielding　to　all　suggestions；　having　all　the　violence　of　feeling　peculiar　to　beings　who　cannot　appeal　to　the　influence　of　reason；　deprived　of　all　critical　faculty；　cannot　be　otherwise　than　excessively　credulous。　　The　improbable　does　not　exist　for　a　crowd；　and　it　is　necessary　to　bear　this　circumstance　well　in　mind　to　understand　the　facility　with　which　are　created　and　propagated　the　most　improbable　legends　and　stories。＇3＇


＇3＇　Persons　who　went　through　the　siege　of　Paris　saw　numerous　examples　of　this　credulity　of　crowds。　　A　candle　alight　in　an　upper　story　was　immediately　looked　upon　as　a　signal　given　the　besiegers；　although　it　was　evident；　after　a　moment　of　reflection；　that　it　was　utterly　impossible　to　catch　sight　of　the　light　of　the　candle　at　a　distance　of　several　miles。



The　creation　of　the　legends　which　so　easily　obtain　circulation　in　crowds　is　not　solely　the　consequence　of　their　extreme　credulity。　It　is　also　the　result　of　the　prodigious　perversions　that　events　undergo　in　the　imagination　of　a　throng。　　The　simplest　event　that　comes　under　the　observation　of　a　crowd　is　soon　totally　transformed。　　A　crowd　thinks　in　images；　and　the　image　itself　immediately　calls　up　a　series　of　other　images；　having　no　logical　connection　with　the　first。　　We　can　easily　conceive　this　state　by　thinking　of　the　fantastic　succession　of　ideas　to　which　we　are　sometimes　led　by　calling　up　in　our　minds　any　fact。　　Our　reason　shows　us　the　incoherence　there　is　in　these　images；　but　a　crowd　is　almost　blind　to　this　truth；　and　confuses　with　the　real　event　what　the　deforming　action　of　its　imagination　has　superimposed　thereon。　A　crowd　scarcely　distinguishes　between　the　subjective　and　the　objective。　　It　accepts　as　real　the　images　evoked　in　its　mind；　though　they　most　often　have　only　a　very　distant　relation　with　the　observed　fact。

The　ways　in　which　a　crowd　perverts　any　event　of　which　it　is　a　witness　ought；　it　would　seem；　to　be　innumerable　and　unlike　each　other；　since　the　individuals　composing　the　gathering　are　of　very　different　temperaments。　　But　this　is　not　the　case。　　As　the　result　of　contagion　the　perversions　are　of　the　same　kind；　and　take　the　same　shape　in　the　case　of　all　the　assembled　individuals。

The　first　perversion　of　the　truth　effected　by　one　of　the　individuals　of　the　gathering　is　the　starting…point　of　the　contagious　suggestion。　　Before　St。　George　appeared　on　the　walls　of　Jerusalem　to　all　the　Crusaders　he　was　certainly　perceived　in　the　first　instance　by　one　of　those　present。　　By　dint　of　suggestion　and　contagion　the　miracle　signalised　by　a　single　person　was　immediately　accepted　by　all。

Such　is　always　the　mechanism　of　the　collective　hallucinations　so　frequent　in　historyhallucinations　which　seem　to　have　all　the　recognised　characteristics　of　authenticity；　since　they　are　phenomena　observed　by　thousands　of　persons。

To　combat　what　precedes；　the　mental　quality　of　the