The crowd

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.

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.

The notion of impossibility disappears for the individual in a crowd.

A crowd thinks in images.

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.

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

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

A crowd is always ready to revolt against a feeble, and to bow

down servilely before a strong authority.

Crowds are especially impressed by the marvellous--Legends

and the marvellous are the real pillars of civilisation-

Nothing has a greater effect on the imagination of crowds

of every category than theatrical representations. The entire audience

experiences at the same time the same emotions, and

if these emotions are not at once transformed into acts, it is because

the most unconscious spectator cannot ignore that he is the victim of illusions,

and that he has laughed or wept over imaginary adventures.

The power of conquerors and the strength of States is based on

the popular imagination.

Whatever strikes the imagination of crowds presents itself under

the shape of a startling and very clear image, freed from all

accessory explanation, or merely having as accompaniment a few

marvellous or mysterious facts: examples in point are a great

victory, a great miracle, a great crime, or a great hope. Things

must be laid before the crowd as a whole, and their genesis must

never be indicated.

At the bottom of the social ladder the system creates an army of proletarians

discontented with their lot and always ready to revolt, while at the summit

it brings into being a frivolous bourgeoisie, at once sceptical and

credulous, having a superstitious confidence in the State, whom

it regards as a sort of Providence, but without forgetting to

display towards it a ceaseless hostility, always laying its own

faults to the door of the Government, and incapable of the least

enterprise without the intervention of the authorities.

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.

In the case of men collected in a crowd all emotions are

very rapidly contagious, which explains the suddenness of panics.

Prestige in reality is a sort of domination exercised on our mind

by an individual, a work, or an idea. This domination entirely

paralyses our critical faculty, and fills our soul with

astonishment and respect. The sentiment provoked is

inexplicable, like all sentiments, but it would appear to be of

the same kind as the fascination to which a magnetised person is

subjected. Prestige is the mainspring of all authority. Neither

gods, kings, nor women have ever reigned without it.

Prestige in reality is a sort of domination exercised on our mind

by an individual, a work, or an idea. This domination entirely

paralyses our critical faculty, and fills our soul with

astonishment and respect. The sentiment provoked is

inexplicable, like all sentiments, but it would appear to be of

the same kind as the fascination to which a magnetised person is

subjected. Prestige is the mainspring of all authority.

Neither gods, kings, nor women have ever reigned without it.

a leader must have arrived at a comprehension, at least

in an unconscious manner, of the psychology of crowds, and must

know how to address them. He should be aware, in particular, of

the fascinating influence of words, phrases, and images. He

should possess a special description of eloquence, composed of

energetic affirmations--unburdened with proofs-- and impressive

images, accompanied by very summary arguments.