The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind

A scientific publication written during the late 19th century. The book explores the psychology of crowds, highlighting how collective behaviors and sentiments diverge from those of individuals, resulting in new psychological characteristics when people are gathered together. The opening of the book presents Le Bon's thesis on the inherent unpredictability and unique mentality of crowds. He explains that individuals within a crowd relinquish their personal identities, becoming susceptible to suggestion and emotional contagion, which can lead to impulsive, often irrational decisions. The author emphasizes the duality of crowd psychology, showcasing how crowds can display either heroic or criminal tendencies based on the prevailing ideas and emotions at play, and underscores the critical need for understanding this psychological dynamic in order to navigate the complexities of societal behavior.