What drives the behavior of crowds? Why do individuals, once part of a mass, abandon reason and become swept up in collective emotions? In The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, Gustave Le Bon dissects the psychology of group behavior, revealing how irrationality, emotion, and suggestion shape the actions of the masses.
First published in 1895, this foundational work in social psychology explores how leaders manipulate crowds, why logic often fails in mass movements, and how collective beliefs spread like wildfire. From revolutions to propaganda, Le Bon’s insights remain as relevant today as they were over a century ago.
🔹 Key Insights from This Audiobook:
- The Power of the Crowd: How individual reasoning dissolves in a mass
- Emotional Contagion: Why crowds are driven by instinct over intellect
- Leadership & Manipulation: How demagogues control public opinion
- The Psychology of Revolutions: What fuels social upheaval
- The Role of Suggestion: How ideas spread and take hold
Gustave Le Bon’s work influenced leaders, politicians, and psychologists alike, shaping the study of mass movements, propaganda, and social control. Whether you’re interested in political theory, psychology, or modern media, this audiobook provides a fascinating deep dive into the forces that shape human history.
🎧 A must-listen for those who seek to understand—and resist—the power of the crowd.
PREFACE
00:00 – INTRODUCTION.
09:03 – THE ERA. OF CROWDS.
25:32 – BOOK I. THE MIND OF CROWDS. CHAPTER I. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CROWDS-PSYCHOLOGICAL LAW OF THEIR MENTAL UNITY
46:26 – CHAPTER II. THE SENTIMENTS AND MORALITY OF CROWDS
1:32:16 – CHAPTER III. THE IDEAS, REASONING POWER, AND IMAGINATION OF CROWDS
1:53:04 – CHAPTER IV. A RELIGIOUS SHAPE ASSUMED BY ALL THE CONVICTIONS OF CROWDS
2:04:29 – BOOK II. THE OPINIONS AND BELIEFS OF CROWDS. CHAPTER I. REMOTE FACTORS OF THE OPINIONS AND BELIEFS OF CROWDS
2:46:38 – CHAPTER II. THE IMMEDIATE FACTORS OF THE OPINIONS OF CROWDS
3:15:47 – CHAPTER III. THE LEADERS OF CROWDS AND THEIR MEANS OF PERSUASION
4:01:09 – CHAPTER IV. LIMITATIONS OF THE VARIABILITY OF THE BELIEFS AND OPINIONS OF CROWDS
BOOK III. THE CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CROWDS. CHAPTER 4:26:37 – I. THE CLASSIFICATION OF CROWDS
4:34:50 – CHAPTER II. CROWDS TERMED CRIMINAL CROWDS
4:44:09 – CHAPTER III. CRIMINAL JURIES
5:00:23 – CHAPTER IV. ELECTORAL CROWDS
5:20:08 – CHAPTER V. PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLIES
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