the crowd-第7章

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ction。　　To　write　such　books　is　the　most　absolute　waste　of　time。　　Had　not　the　past　left　us　its　literary；　artistic；　and　monumental　works；　we　should　know　absolutely　nothing　in　reality　with　regard　to　bygone　times。　　Are　we　in　possession　of　a　single　word　of　truth　concerning　the　lives　of　the　great　men　who　have　played　preponderating　parts　in　the　history　of　humanitymen　such　as　Hercules；　Buddha；　or　Mahomet？　　In　all　probability　we　are　not。　　In　point　of　fact；　moreover；　their　real　lives　are　of　slight　importance　to　us。　　Our　interest　is　to　know　what　our　great　men　were　as　they　are　presented　by　popular　legend。　　It　is　legendary　heroes；　and　not　for　a　moment　real　heroes；　who　have　impressed　the　minds　of　crowds。

Unfortunately；　legendseven　although　they　have　been　definitely　put　on　record　by　bookshave　in　themselves　no　stability。　　The　imagination　of　the　crowd　continually　transforms　them　as　the　result　of　the　lapse　of　time　and　especially　in　consequence　of　racial　causes。　　There　is　a　great　gulf　fixed　between　the　sanguinary　Jehovah　of　the　Old　Testament　and　the　God　of　Love　of　Sainte　Therese；　and　the　Buddha　worshipped　in　China　has　no　traits　in　common　with　that　venerated　in　India。

It　is　not　even　necessary　that　heroes　should　be　separated　from　us　by　centuries　for　their　legend　to　be　transformed　by　the　imagination　of　the　crowd。　　The　transformation　occasionally　takes　place　within　a　few　years。　　In　our　own　day　we　have　seen　the　legend　of　one　of　the　greatest　heroes　of　history　modified　several　times　in　less　than　fifty　years。　　Under　the　Bourbons　Napoleon　became　a　sort　of　idyllic　and　liberal　philanthropist；　a　friend　of　the　humble　who；　according　to　the　poets；　was　destined　to　be　long　remembered　in　the　cottage。　　Thirty　years　afterwards　this　easy…going　hero　had　become　a　sanguinary　despot；　who；　after　having　usurped　power　and　destroyed　liberty；　caused　the　slaughter　of　three　million　men　solely　to　satisfy　his　ambition。　　At　present　we　are　witnessing　a　fresh　transformation　of　the　legend。　　When　it　has　undergone　the　influence　of　some　dozens　of　centuries　the　learned　men　of　the　future；　face　to　face　with　these　contradictory　accounts；　will　perhaps　doubt　the　very　existence　of　the　hero；　as　some　of　them　now　doubt　that　of　Buddha；　and　will　see　in　him　nothing　more　than　a　solar　myth　or　a　development　of　the　legend　of　Hercules。　　They　will　doubtless　console　themselves　easily　for　this　uncertainty；　for；　better　initiated　than　we　are　to…day　in　the　characteristics　and　psychology　of　crowds；　they　will　know　that　history　is　scarcely　capable　of　preserving　the　memory　of　anything　except　myths。


3。　THE　EXAGGERATION　AND　INGENUOUSNESS　OF　THE　SENTIMENTS　OF　CROWDS。


Whether　the　feelings　exhibited　by　a　crowd　be　good　or　bad；　they　present　the　double　character　of　being　very　simple　and　very　exaggerated。　　On　this　point；　as　on　so　many　others；　an　individual　in　a　crowd　resembles　primitive　beings。　　Inaccessible　to　fine　distinctions；　he　sees　things　as　a　whole；　and　is　blind　to　their　intermediate　phases。　　The　exaggeration　of　the　sentiments　of　a　crowd　is　heightened　by　the　fact　that　any　feeling　when　once　it　is　exhibited　communicating　itself　very　quickly　by　a　process　of　suggestion　and　contagion；　the　evident　approbation　of　which　it　is　the　object　considerably　increases　its　force。

The　simplicity　and　exaggeration　of　the　sentiments　of　crowds　have　for　result　that　a　throng　knows　neither　doubt　nor　uncertainty。　Like　women；　it　goes　at　once　to　extremes。　　A　suspicion　transforms　itself　as　soon　as　announced　into　incontrovertible　evidence。　　A　commencement　of　antipathy　or　disapprobation；　which　in　the　case　of　an　isolated　individual　would　not　gain　strength；　becomes　at　once　furious　hatred　in　the　case　of　an　individual　in　a　crowd。

The　violence　of　the　feelings　of　crowds　is　also　increased；　especially　in　heterogeneous　crowds；　by　the　absence　of　all　sense　of　responsibility。　　The　certainty　of　impunity；　a　certainty　the　stronger　as　the　crowd　is　more　numerous；　and　the　notion　of　a　considerable　momentary　force　due　to　number；　make　possible　in　the　case　of　crowds　sentiments　and　acts　impossible　for　the　isolated　individual。　　In　crowds　the　foolish；　ignorant；　and　envious　persons　are　freed　from　the　sense　of　their　insignificance　and　powerlessness；　and　are　possessed　instead　by　the　notion　of　brutal　and　temporary　but　immense　strength。

Unfortunately；　this　tendency　of　crowds　towards　exaggeration　is　often　brought　to　bear　upon　bad　sentiments。　　These　sentiments　are　atavistic　residuum　of　the　instincts　of　the　primitive　man；　which　the　fear　of　punishment　obliges　the　isolated　and　responsible　individual　to　curb。　　Thus　it　is　that　crowds　are　so　easily　led　into　the　worst　excesses。

Still　this　does　not　mean　that　crowds；　skilfully　influenced；　are　not　capable　of　heroism　and　devotion　and　of　evincing　the　loftiest　virtues；　they　are　even　more　capable　of　showing　these　qualities　than　the　isolated　individual。　　We　shall　soon　have　occasion　to　revert　to　this　point　when　we　come　to　study　the　morality　of　crowds。

Given　to　exaggeration　in　its　feelings；　a　crowd　is　only　impressed　by　excessive　sentiments。　　An　orator　wishing　to　move　a　crowd　must　make　an　abusive　use　of　violent　affirmations。　　To　exaggerate；　to　affirm；　to　resort　to　repetitions；　and　never　to　attempt　to　prove　anything　by　reasoning　are　methods　of　argument　well　known　to　speakers　at　public　meetings。

Moreover；　a　crowd　exacts　a　like　exaggeration　in　the　sentiments　of　its　heroes。　　Their　apparent　qualities　and　virtues　must　always　be　amplified。　　It　has　been　justly　remarked　that　on　the　stage　a　crowd　demands　from　the　hero　of　the　piece　a　degree　of　courage；　morality；　and　virtue　that　is　never　to　be　found　in　real　life。

Quite　rightly　importance　has　been　laid　on　the　special　standpoint　from　which　matters　are　viewed　in　the　theatre。　　Such　a　standpoint　exists　no　doubt；　but　its　rules　for　the　most　part　have　nothing　to　do　with　common　sense　and　logic。　　The　art　of　appealing　to　crowds　is　no　doubt　of　an　inferior　order；　but　it　demands　quite　special　aptitudes。　　It　is　often　impossible　on　reading　plays　to　explain　their　success。　　Managers　of　theatres　when　accepting　pieces　are　themselves；　as　a　rule；　very　uncertain　of　their　success；　because　to　judge　the　matter　it　would　be　necessary　that　they　should　be　able　to　transform　themselves　into　a　crowd。＇6＇


＇6＇　It　is　understandable　for　this　reason　why　it　sometimes　happens　that　pieces　refused　by　all　theatrical　managers　obtain　a　prodigious　success　when　by　a　stroke　of　chance　they　are　put　on　the　stage。　　The　recent　success　of　Francois　Coppee's　play　〃Pour　la　Couronne〃　is　well　known；　and　yet；　in　spite　of　the　name　of　its　author；　it　was　refused　during　ten　years　by　the　managers　of　the　principal　Parisian　theatres。

〃Charley's　Aunt；〃　refused　at　every　theatre；　and　finally　staged　at　the　expense　of　a　stockbroker；　has　had　two　hundred　representations　in　France；　and　more　than　a　thousand　in　London。　　Without　the　explanation　given　above　of　the　impossibility　for　theatrical　managers　to　mentally　substitute　themselves　for　a　crowd；　such　mistakes　in　judgment　on　the　part　of　competent　individuals；　who　are　most　interested　not　to　commit　such　grave　blunders；　would　be　inexplicable。　　This　is　a　subject　that　I　cannot　deal　with　here；　but　it　might　worthily　tempt　the　pen　of　a　writer　acquainted　with　theatrical　matters；　and　at　the　same　time　a　subtle　psychologistof　such　a　writer；　for　instance；　as　M。　Francisque　Sarcey。



Here；　once　more；　were　we　able　to　embark　on　more　extensive　explanations；　we　should　show　the　preponderating　influence　of　racial　considerations。　　A　play　which　provokes　the　enthusiasm　of　the　crowd　in　one　country　has　sometimes　no　success　in　another；　or　has　only　a　partial　and　conventional　success；　because　it　does　not　put　in　operation　influences　capable　of　working　on　an　altered　public。

I　need　not　add　that　the　tendency　to　exaggeration　in　crowds　is　only　present　in　the　case　of　sentiments　and　not　at　all　in　the　matter　of　intelligence。　　I　have　already　shown　that；　by　the　mere　fact　that　an　individual　forms　part　of　a　crowd；　his　intellectual　standard　is　immediately　and　considerably　lowered。　　A　learned　magistrate；　M。　Tarde；　has　also　verified　this　fact　in　his　researches　on　the　crimes　of　crowds。　　It　is　only；　then；　with　respect　to　sentiment　that　crowds　can　rise　to　a　very　high　or；　on　the　contrary；　descend　to　a　very　low　level。


4。　THE　INTOLERANCE；　DICTATORIALNESS　AND　CONSERVATISM　OF　CROWDS。


Crowds　are　only　cognisant　of　simple　and　extreme　sentiments；　the　opinions；　ideas；　and　beliefs　suggested　to　them　are　accepted　or　rejected　as　a　whole；　and　considered　as　absolute　truths　or　as　not　less　absolute　errors。　　This　is　always　the　case　with　beliefs　induced　by　a　process　of　suggestion　instead　of　engendered　by　reasoning。　　Every　one　is　aware　of　the　intolerance　that　accompanies　religious　beliefs；　and　of　the　despotic　empire　they　exercise　on　men's　minds。

Being　in　doubt　as　to　what　constitutes　truth　or　error；　and　having；　on　the　other　hand；　a　clear　notion　of　its　strength；　a　crowd　is　as　disposed　to　give　authoritative　effect　to　its　inspirations　as　it　is　intolerant。　　An　individual　may　accept　contradiction　and　discussion；　a　crowd　will　never　do　so。　　At　public　meetings　the　slightest　contradiction　on　the　part　of　an　orator　is　immediately　received　with　howls　of　fury　and　violent　invective；　soon　followed　by　blows；　and　expulsion　should　the　orator　stick　to　his　point。　Without　the　restraining　presence　of　the　representatives　of　authority　the　contradictor；　indeed；　would　often　be　done　to　death。

Dictatorialness　and　intolerance　are　common　to　all　categories　of　crowds；　but　they　are　met　with　in　a　varying　degree　of　intensity。　Here；　once　more；　reappears　that　fundamental　notion　of　race　which　dominates　all　the　feelings　and　all　the　thoughts　of　men。　　It　is　more　especially　in　Latin　crowds　that　authoritativeness　and　intolerance　are　found　developed　in　the　highest　measure。　　In　fact；　their　development　is　such　in　crowds　of　Latin　origin　that　they　have　entirely　destroyed　that　sentiment　of　the　independence　of　the　individual　so　powerful　in　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　Latin　crowds　are　only　concerned　with　the　collective　independence　of　the　sect　to　which　they　belong；　and　the　characteristic　feature　of　their　conception　of　independence　is　the　need　they　experience　of　bringing　those　who　are　in　disagreement　with　themselves　into　immediate　and　violent　subjection　to　their　beliefs。　　Among　the　Latin　races　the　Jacobins　of　every　epoch；　from　those　of　the　Inquisition　downwards；　have　never　been　able　to　attain　to　a　different　conception　of　liberty。

Authoritativeness　and　intolerance　are　sentiments　of　which　crowds　have　a　very　clear　notion；　which　they　easily　conceive　and　which　they　entertain　as　readily　as　they　put　them　in　practice　when　once　they　are　imposed　upon　them。　　Crowds　exhibit　a　docile　respect　for　force；　and　are　but　slightly　impressed　by　kindness；　which　for　them　is　scarcely　other　than　a　form　of　weakness。　　Their　sympathies　have　never　been　bestowed　on　easy…going　masters；　but　on　tyrants　who　vigorously　oppressed　them。　　It　is　to　these　latter　that　they　always　erect　the　loftiest　statues。　　It　is　true　that　they　willingly　trample　on　the　despot　whom　they　have　stripped　of　his　power；　but　it　is　because；　having　lost　his　strength；　he　has　resumed　his　place　among　the　feeble；　who　are　to　be　despised　because　they　are　not　to　be　feared。　　The　type　of　hero　dear　to　crowds　will　always　have　the　semblance　of　a　Caesar。　　His　insignia　attracts　them；　his　autho