Mass Psychology (Penguin Modern Classics Translated Texts) Book

This book is in the public domain and I downloaded it for free. As with all of these public domain works of Freud's that I've read so far the translation leaves a lot to be desired. I'm certain that Freud's message was clear and lucid in the original German, but here it's obscured by unnecessarily complicated sentence structure that often requires re-reading before it can be fully understood.

Here is an example of one of the shorter sentences: "Contagion is a phenomenon of which it is easy to establish the presence, but that it is not easy to explain." To say that a sentence like this requires editing is an understatement. This might be one way to improve it: "The presence of Contagion is easy to identify, but not so easy to explain." I could have given much worse, and far longer, examples, but the point of it all is that the readibility of the entire book could be better.

On the other hand, Freud gives a good description of group-think, and identifies the problems associated with groups. This is one insight (and I won't attempt to edit these examples): "...the individual forming part of a group 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." I think that it's worthy to note here that this shows that even otherwise reasonable persons can form up into unruly, destructive mobs. The reasoning power of a mob usually devolves to the lowest level of the members within the mob. "He possesses the spontaneity, the violence, the ferocity, and also the enthusiasm and heroism of primitive beings...then dwells especially upon the lowering in intellectual ability which an individual experiences when he becomes merged in a group." "...goes directly to extremes; if a suspicion is expressed, it is instantly changed into an incontrovertible certainty; a trace of antipathy is turned into furious hatred."

I think we can easily see how this applies to wide ranging events, whatever the place or time. Freud also illustrates how group-think also extends to politics and religion, often combining the two: "If another group tie takes the place of the religious one—and the socialistic tie seems to be succeeding in doing so—then there will be the same intolerance toward outsiders as in the age of the Wars of Religion."

And to social networking: "We have only to think of the troop of women and girls, all of them in love in an enthusiastically sentimental way, who crowd round a singer or pianist after his performance."

Keep in mind that this book was written in 1921, but indentifies group behavior that would accurately apply today. To Freud's insight, logic, and clarity of thought I would of course give five out of five stars. To the translated version, four stars only. I still recommend it to anyone who would like to get some insight into groups and group behavior.