# The Intolerance, Dictatorialness and Conservatism of Crowds explained — The Crowd

> Chapter companion for The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon.

## What happens

This chapter explores the inherent intolerance and dictatorialness of crowds, which accept or reject ideas as absolute truths due to suggestion rather than reasoning. Crowds are hostile to contradiction and exhibit a docile respect for force, favoring tyrants over kind masters. Despite their violent and revolutionary outbursts, crowds are fundamentally conservative, governed by unconscious and hereditary influences that make them resistant to change and deeply respectful of traditions.

## Themes in this chapter

### Irrationality and Credulity

Crowds accept or reject ideas as absolute truths based on suggestion rather than reasoning, demonstrating irrationality and credulity.

### Morality of Crowds

The chapter highlights the dual morality of crowds: they are intolerant and dictatorial yet exhibit a docile respect for force and a profound conservatism.

### Social Change and Revolution

Crowds' revolutionary outbursts are described as transitory, and their deep conservatism is emphasized as a barrier to fundamental social change.

## Character check-ins

### Crowds

Crowds are described as intolerant, dictatorial, and conservative, accepting only simple and extreme sentiments, and showing docile respect for force.

### Caesar

Caesar is cited as the type of hero dear to crowds, whose insignia attracts them, authority overawes them, and sword instills fear.

### Napoleon

Bonaparte is mentioned as the figure whom the Jacobins acclaimed when he suppressed liberty and enforced strong authority.

## Key lines

> 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.

Crowds only understand simple and extreme feelings; they accept or reject suggested beliefs entirely, treating them as either absolute truth or absolute error.

_This illustrates the irrational and absolute thinking of crowds._

> Crowds exhibit a docile respect for force, and are but slightly impressed by kindness, which for them is scarcely other than a form of weakness.

Crowds show obedient respect for power and are hardly moved by kindness, which they see as weakness.

_Highlights the crowd's preference for strong authority over gentle treatment._

> Their rebellious and destructive outbursts are always very transitory. Crowds are too much governed by unconscious considerations, and too much subject in consequence to secular hereditary influences not to be extremely conservative.

Crowds' violent revolts are short-lived; they are deeply influenced by unconscious and inherited factors, making them highly conservative.

_Explains the paradox of crowds' temporary rebelliousness and lasting conservatism._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_crowd_se/chapters/4-the-intolerance-dictatorialness-and-conservatism-of-crowds
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_crowd_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_crowd_se/chapters