the crowd-第24章

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rnment。　　If　in　consequence　of　some　accident　or　other　the　leaders　should　be　removed　from　the　scene　the　crowd　returns　to　its　original　state　of　a　collectivity　without　cohesion　or　force　of　resistance。　　During　the　last　strike　of　the　Parisian　omnibus　employes　the　arrest　of　the　two　leaders　who　were　directing　it　was　at　once　sufficient　to　bring　it　to　an　end。　　It　is　the　need　not　of　liberty　but　of　servitude　that　is　always　predominant　in　the　soul　of　crowds。　　They　are　so　bent　on　obedience　that　they　instinctively　submit　to　whoever　declares　himself　their　master。

These　ringleaders　and　agitators　may　be　divided　into　two　clearly　defined　classes。　　The　one　includes　the　men　who　are　energetic　and　possess；　but　only　intermittently；　much　strength　of　will；　the　other　the　men；　far　rarer　than　the　preceding；　whose　strength　of　will　is　enduring。　　The　first　mentioned　are　violent；　brave；　and　audacious。　　They　are　more　especially　useful　to　direct　a　violent　enterprise　suddenly　decided　on；　to　carry　the　masses　with　them　in　spite　of　danger；　and　to　transform　into　heroes　the　men　who　but　yesterday　were　recruits。　　Men　of　this　kind　were　Ney　and　Murat　under　the　First　Empire；　and　such　a　man　in　our　own　time　was　Garibaldi；　a　talentless　but　energetic　adventurer　who　succeeded　with　a　handful　of　men　in　laying　hands　on　the　ancient　kingdom　of　Naples；　defended　though　it　was　by　a　disciplined　army。

Still；　though　the　energy　of　leaders　of　this　class　is　a　force　to　be　reckoned　with；　it　is　transitory；　and　scarcely　outlasts　the　exciting　cause　that　has　brought　it　into　play。　　When　they　have　returned　to　their　ordinary　course　of　life　the　heroes　animated　by　energy　of　this　description　often　evince；　as　was　the　case　with　those　I　have　just　cited；　the　most　astonishing　weakness　of　character。　　They　seem　incapable　of　reflection　and　of　conducting　themselves　under　the　simplest　circumstances；　although　they　had　been　able　to　lead　others。　　These　men　are　leaders　who　cannot　exercise　their　function　except　on　the　condition　that　they　be　led　themselves　and　continually　stimulated；　that　they　have　always　as　their　beacon　a　man　or　an　idea；　that　they　follow　a　line　of　conduct　clearly　traced。　　The　second　category　of　leaders；　that　of　men　of　enduring　strength　of　will；　have；　in　spite　of　a　less　brilliant　aspect；　a　much　more　considerable　influence。　　In　this　category　are　to　be　found　the　true　founders　of　religions　and　great　undertakings：　St。　Paul；　Mahomet；　Christopher　Columbus；　and　de　Lesseps；　for　example。　　Whether　they　be　intelligent　or　narrow…minded　is　of　no　importance：　the　world　belongs　to　them。　The　persistent　will…force　they　possess　is　an　immensely　rare　and　immensely　powerful　faculty　to　which　everything　yields。　　What　a　strong　and　continuous　will　is　capable　of　is　not　always　properly　appreciated。　　Nothing　resists　it；　neither　nature；　gods；　nor　man。

The　most　recent　example　of　what　can　be　effected　by　a　strong　and　continuous　will　is　afforded　us　by　the　illustrious　man　who　separated　the　Eastern　and　Western　worlds；　and　accomplished　a　task　that　during　three　thousand　years　had　been　attempted　in　vain　by　the　greatest　sovereigns。　　He　failed　later　in　an　identical　enterprise；　but　then　had　intervened　old　age；　to　which　everything；　even　the　will；　succumbs。

When　it　is　desired　to　show　what　may　be　done　by　mere　strength　of　will；　all　that　is　necessary　is　to　relate　in　detail　the　history　of　the　difficulties　that　had　to　be　surmounted　in　connection　with　the　cutting　of　the　Suez　Canal。　　An　ocular　witness；　Dr。　Cazalis；　has　summed　up　in　a　few　striking　lines　the　entire　story　of　this　great　work；　recounted　by　its　immortal　author。

〃From　day　to　day；　episode　by　episode；　he　told　the　stupendous　story　of　the　canal。　　He　told　of　all　he　had　had　to　vanquish；　of　the　impossible　he　had　made　possible；　of　all　the　opposition　he　encountered；　of　the　coalition　against　him；　and　the　disappointments；　the　reverses；　the　defeats　which　had　been　unavailing　to　discourage　or　depress　him。　　He　recalled　how　England　had　combatted　him；　attacking　him　without　cessation；　how　Egypt　and　France　had　hesitated；　how　the　French　Consul　had　been　foremost　in　his　opposition　to　the　early　stages　of　the　work；　and　the　nature　of　the　opposition　he　had　met　with；　the　attempt　to　force　his　workmen　to　desert　from　thirst　by　refusing　them　fresh　water；　how　the　Minister　of　Marine　and　the　engineers；　all　responsible　men　of　experienced　and　scientific　training；　had　naturally　all　been　hostile；　were　all　certain　on　scientific　grounds　that　disaster　was　at　hand；　had　calculated　its　coming；　foretelling　it　for　such　a　day　and　hour　as　an　eclipse　is　foretold。〃

The　book　which　relates　the　lives　of　all　these　great　leaders　would　not　contain　many　names；　but　these　names　have　been　bound　up　with　the　most　important　events　in　the　history　of　civilisation。


2。　THE　MEANS　OF　ACTION　OF　THE　LEADERS：　AFFIRMATION；　REPETITION；　CONTAGION


When　it　is　wanted　to　stir　up　a　crowd　for　a　short　space　of　time；　to　induce　it　to　commit　an　act　of　any　natureto　pillage　a　palace；　or　to　die　in　defence　of　a　stronghold　or　a　barricade；　for　instancethe　crowd　must　be　acted　upon　by　rapid　suggestion；　among　which　example　is　the　most　powerful　in　its　effect。　　To　attain　this　end；　however；　it　is　necessary　that　the　crowd　should　have　been　previously　prepared　by　certain　circumstances；　and；　above　all；　that　he　who　wishes　to　work　upon　it　should　possess　the　quality　to　be　studied　farther　on；　to　which　I　give　the　name　of　prestige。

When；　however；　it　is　proposed　to　imbue　the　mind　of　a　crowd　with　ideas　and　beliefswith　modern　social　theories；　for　instancethe　leaders　have　recourse　to　different　expedients。　　The　principal　of　them　are　three　in　number　and　clearly　definedaffirmation；　repetition；　and　contagion。　　Their　action　is　somewhat　slow；　but　its　effects；　once　produced；　are　very　lasting。

Affirmation　pure　and　simple；　kept　free　of　all　reasoning　and　all　proof；　is　one　of　the　surest　means　of　making　an　idea　enter　the　mind　of　crowds。　　The　conciser　an　affirmation　is；　the　more　destitute　of　every　appearance　of　proof　and　demonstration；　the　more　weight　it　carries。　　The　religious　books　and　the　legal　codes　of　all　ages　have　always　resorted　to　simple　affirmation。　Statesmen　called　upon　to　defend　a　political　cause；　and　commercial　men　pushing　the　sale　of　their　products　by　means　of　advertising　are　acquainted　with　the　value　of　affirmation。

Affirmation；　however；　has　no　real　influence　unless　it　be　constantly　repeated；　and　so　far　as　possible　in　the　same　terms。　It　was　Napoleon；　I　believe；　who　said　that　there　is　only　one　figure　in　rhetoric　of　serious　importance；　namely；　repetition。　The　thing　affirmed　comes　by　repetition　to　fix　itself　in　the　mind　in　such　a　way　that　it　is　accepted　in　the　end　as　a　demonstrated　truth。

The　influence　of　repetition　on　crowds　is　comprehensible　when　the　power　is　seen　which　it　exercises　on　the　most　enlightened　minds。　This　power　is　due　to　the　fact　that　the　repeated　statement　is　embedded　in　the　long　run　in　those　profound　regions　of　our　unconscious　selves　in　which　the　motives　of　our　actions　are　forged。　　At　the　end　of　a　certain　time　we　have　forgotten　who　is　the　author　of　the　repeated　assertion；　and　we　finish　by　believing　it。　　To　this　circumstance　is　due　the　astonishing　power　of　advertisements。　　When　we　have　read　a　hundred；　a　thousand；　times　that　X's　chocolate　is　the　best；　we　imagine　we　have　heard　it　said　in　many　quarters；　and　we　end　by　acquiring　the　certitude　that　such　is　the　fact。　　When　we　have　read　a　thousand　times　that　Y's　flour　has　cured　the　most　illustrious　persons　of　the　most　obstinate　maladies；　we　are　tempted　at　last　to　try　it　when　suffering　from　an　illness　of　a　similar　kind。　　If　we　always　read　in　the　same　papers　that　A　is　an　arrant　scamp　and　B　a　most　honest　man　we　finish　by　being　convinced　that　this　is　the　truth；　unless；　indeed；　we　are　given　to　reading　another　paper　of　the　contrary　opinion；　in　which　the　two　qualifications　are　reversed。　　Affirmation　and　repetition　are　alone　powerful　enough　to　combat　each　other。

When　an　affirmation　has　been　sufficiently　repeated　and　there　is　unanimity　in　this　repetitionas　has　occurred　in　the　case　of　certain　famous　financial　undertakings　rich　enough　to　purchase　every　assistance　what　is　called　a　current　of　opinion　is　formed　and　the　powerful　mechanism　of　contagion　intervenes。　　Ideas；　sentiments；　emotions；　and　beliefs　possess　in　crowds　a　c