The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind

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   People in a crowd think and act differently than when alone, becoming more impulsive and easy to lead.

   The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind · 1895

   In a crowd people become impulsive, lose rationality and are easily led by social contagion.

   Imagine you are at a concert and everyone is shouting a song. Even if you don't like it, you might start shouting too. Le Bon says that in a crowd, ideas spread like a virus, and people lose rational control. It's like when all kids in class laugh at a bad joke, and you laugh too without knowing why.

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