the crowd-第7章

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　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　individuals　composing　a　crowd　must　not　be　brought　into　consideration。　　This　quality　is　without　importance。　　From　the　moment　that　they　form　part　of　a　crowd　the　learned　man　and　the　ignoramus　are　equally　incapable　of　observation。

This　thesis　may　seem　paradoxical。　　To　demonstrate　it　beyond　doubt　it　would　be　necessary　to　investigate　a　great　number　of　historical　facts；　and　several　volumes　would　be　insufficient　for　the　purpose。

Still；　as　I　do　not　wish　to　leave　the　reader　under　the　impression　of　unproved　assertions；　I　shall　give　him　some　examples　taken　at　hazard　from　the　immense　number　of　those　that　might　be　quoted。

The　following　fact　is　one　of　the　most　typical；　because　chosen　from　among　collective　hallucinations　of　which　a　crowd　is　the　victim；　in　which　are　to　be　found　individuals　of　every　kind；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　highly　educated。　　It　is　related　incidentally　by　Julian　Felix；　a　naval　lieutenant；　in　his　book　on　〃Sea　Currents；〃　and　has　been　previously　cited　by　the　Revue　Scientifique。

The　fri