the crowd-第5章

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It　is　easy　to　prove　how　much　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd　differs　from　the　isolated　individual；　but　it　is　less　easy　to　discover　the　causes　of　this　difference。

To　obtain　at　any　rate　a　glimpse　of　them　it　is　necessary　in　the　first　place　to　call　to　mind　the　truth　established　by　modern　psychology；　that　unconscious　phenomena　play　an　altogether　preponderating　part　not　only　in　organic　life；　but　also　in　the　operations　of　the　intelligence。　　The　conscious　life　of　the　mind　is　of　small　importance　in　comparison　with　its　unconscious　life。　The　most　subtle　analyst；　the　most　acute　observer；　is　scarcely　successful　in　discovering　more　than　a　very　small　number　of　the　unconscious　motives　that　determine　his　conduct。　　Our　conscious　acts　are　the　outcome　of　an　unconscious　substratum　created　in　the　mind　in　the　main　by　hereditary　influences。　　This　substratum　consists　of　the　innumerable　common　characteristics　handed　down　from　generation　to　generation；　which　constitute　the　genius　of　a　race。　　Behind　the　avowed　causes　of　our　acts　there　undoubtedly　lie　secret　causes　that　we　do　not　avow；　but　behind　these　secret　causes　there　are　many　others　more　secret　still　which　we　ourselves　ignore。　　The　greater　part　of　our　daily　actions　are　the　result　of　hidden　motives　which　escape　our　observation。

It　is　more　especially　with　respect　to　those　unconscious　elements　which　constitute　the　genius　of　a　race　that　all　the　individuals　belonging　to　it　resemble　each　other；　while　it　is　principally　in　respect　to　the　conscious　elements　of　their　characterthe　fruit　of　education；　and　yet　more　of　exceptional　hereditary　conditionsthat　they　differ　from　each　other。　　Men　the　most　unlike　in　the　matter　of　their　intelligence　possess　instincts；　passions；　and　feelings　that　are　very　similar。　　In　the　case　of　every　thing　that　belongs　to　the　realm　of　sentimentreligion；　politics；　morality；　the　affections　and　antipathies；　&c。the　most　eminent　men　seldom　surpass　the　standard　of　the　most　ordinary　individuals。　　From　the　intellectual　point　of　view　an　abyss　may　exist　between　a　great　mathematician　and　his　boot　maker；　but　from　the　point　of　view　of　character　the　difference　is　most　often　slight　or　non…existent。

It　is　precisely　these　general　qualities　of　character；　governed　by　forces　of　which　we　are　unconscious；　and　possessed　by　the　majority　of　the　normal　individuals　of　a　race　in　much　the　same　degreeit　is　precisely　these　qualities；　I　say；　that　in　crowds　become　common　property。　　In　the　collective　mind　the　intellectual　aptitudes　of　the　individuals；　and　in　consequence　their　individuality；　are　weakened。　　The　heterogeneous　is　swamped　by　the　homogeneous；　and　the　unconscious　qualities　obtain　the　upper　hand。

This　very　fact　that　crowds　possess　in　common　ordinary　qualities　explains　why　they　can　never　accomplish　acts　demanding　a　high　degree　of　intelligence。　　The　decisions　affecting　matters　of　general　interest　come　to　by　an　assembly　of　men　of　distinction；　but　specialists　in　different　walks　of　life；　are　not　sensibly　superior　to　the　decisions　that　would　be　adopted　by　a　gathering　of　imbeciles。　　The　truth　is；　they　can　only　bring　to　bear　in　common　on　the　work　in　hand　those　mediocre　qualities　which　are　the　birthright　of　every　average　individual。　　In　crowds　it　is　stupidity　and　not　mother…wit　that　is　accumulated。　　It　is　not　all　the　world；　as　is　so　often　repeated；　that　has　more　wit　than　Voltaire；　but　assuredly　Voltaire　that　has　more　wit　than　all　the　world；　if　by　〃all　the　world〃　crowds　are　to　be　understood。

If　the　individuals　of　a　crowd　confined　themselves　to　putting　in　common　the　ordinary　qualities　of　which　each　of　them　has　his　share；　there　would　merely　result　the　striking　of　an　average；　and　not；　as　we　have　said　is　actually　the　case；　the　creation　of　new　characteristics。　　How　is　it　that　these　new　characteristics　are　created？　　This　is　what　we　are　now　to　investigate。

Different　causes　determine　the　appearance　of　these　characteristics　peculiar　to　crowds；　and　not　possessed　by　isolated　individuals。　　The　first　is　that　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd　acquires；　solely　from　numerical　considerations；　a　sentiment　of　invincible　power　which　allows　him　to　yield　to　instincts　which；　had　he　been　alone；　he　would　perforce　have　kept　under　restraint。　He　will　be　the　less　disposed　to　check　himself　from　the　consideration　that；　a　crowd　being　anonymous；　and　in　consequence　irresponsible；　the　sentiment　of　responsibility　which　always　controls　individuals　disappears　entirely。

The　second　cause；　which　is　contagion；　also　intervenes　to　determine　the　manifestation　in　crowds　of　their　special　characteristics；　and　at　the　same　time　the　trend　they　are　to　take。　Contagion　is　a　phenomenon　of　which　it　is　easy　to　establish　the　presence；　but　that　it　is　not　easy　to　explain。　　It　must　be　classed　among　those　phenomena　of　a　hypnotic　order；　which　we　shall　shortly　study。　　In　a　crowd　every　sentiment　and　act　is　contagious；　and　contagious　to　such　a　degree　that　an　individual　readily　sacrifices　his　personal　interest　to　the　collective　interest。　　This　is　an　aptitude　very　contrary　to　his　nature；　and　of　which　a　man　is　scarcely　capable；　except　when　he　makes　part　of　a　crowd。

A　third　cause；　and　by　far　the　most　important；　determines　in　the　individuals　of　a　crowd　special　characteristics　which　are　quite　contrary　at　times　to　those　presented　by　the　isolated　individual。　I　allude　to　that　suggestibility　of　which；　moreover；　the　contagion　mentioned　above　is　neither　more　nor　less　than　an　effect。

To　understand　this　phenomenon　it　is　necessary　to　bear　in　mind　certain　recent　physiological　discoveries。　　We　know　to…day　that　by　various　processes　an　individual　may　be　brought　into　such　a　condition　that；　having　entirely　lost　his　conscious　personality；　he　obeys　all　the　suggestions　of　the　operator　who　has　deprived　him　of　it；　and　commits　acts　in　utter　contradiction　with　his　character　and　habits。　　The　most　careful　observations　seem　to　prove　that　an　individual　immerged　for　some　length　of　time　in　a　crowd　in　action　soon　finds　himselfeither　in　consequence　of　the　magnetic　influence　given　out　by　the　crowd；　or　from　some　other　cause　of　which　we　are　ignorantin　a　special　state；　which　much　resembles　the　state　of　fascination　in　which　the　hypnotised　individual　finds　himself　in　the　hands　of　the　hypnotiser。　　The　activity　of　the　brain　being　paralysed　in　the　case　of　the　hypnotised　subject；　the　latter　becomes　the　slave　of　all　the　unconscious　activities　of　his　spinal　cord；　which　the　hypnotiser　directs　at　will。　　The　conscious　personality　has　entirely　vanished；　will　and　discernment　are　lost。　All　feelings　and　thoughts　are　bent　in　the　direction　determined　by　the　hypnotiser。

Such　also　is　approximately　the　state　of　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　psychological　crowd。　　He　is　no　longer　conscious　of　his　acts。　　In　his　case；　as　in　the　case　of　the　hypnotised　subject；　at　the　same　time　that　certain　faculties　are　destroyed；　others　may　be　brought　to　a　high　degree　of　exaltation。　　Under　the　influence　of　a　suggestion；　he　will　undertake　the　accomplishment　of　certain　acts　with　irresistible　impetuosity。　　This　impetuosity　is　the　more　irresistible　in　the　case　of　crowds　than　in　that　of　the　hypnotised　subject；　from　the　fact　that；　the　suggestion　being　the　same　for　all　the　individuals　of　the　crowd；　it　gains　in　strength　by　reciprocity。　　The　individualities　in　the　crowd　who　might　possess　a　personality　sufficiently　strong　to　resist　the　suggestion　are　too　few　in　number　to　struggle　against　the　current。　　At　the　utmost；　they　may　be　able　to　attempt　a　diversion　by　means　of　different　suggestions。　　It　is　in　this　way；　for　instance；　that　a　happy　expression；　an　image　opportunely　evoked；　have　occasionally　deterred　crowds　from　the　most　bloodthirsty　acts。

We　see；　then；　that　the　disappearance　of　the　conscious　personality；　the　predominance　of　the　unconscious　personality；　the　turning　by　means　of　suggestion　and　contagion　of　feelings　and　ideas　in　an　identical　direction；　the　tendency　to　immediately　transform　the　suggested　ideas　into　acts；　these；　we　see；　are　the　principal　characteristics　of　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd。　　He　is　no　longer　himself；　but　has　become　an　automaton　who　has　ceased　to　be　guided　by　his　will。

Moreover；　by　the　mere　fact　that　he　forms　part　of　an　organised　crowd；　a　man　descends　several　rungs　in　the　ladder　of　civilisation。　　Is