The crowd : $b A study of the popular mind

by Gustave Le Bon

"The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind" by Gustave Le Bon is a book published in 1895. Le Bon explores how individuals transform when absorbed into crowds, losing reason and judgment while gaining impulsiveness and susceptibility to manipulation. He examines crowd characteristics, leadership dynamics, and different crowd types—from criminal mobs to electoral assemblies. The work analyzes how collective psychology shapes beliefs, institutions, and social movements, arguing that crowds possess a dangerous power that challenges individual civilization and rational thought.