The Popular Science Monthly, July, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
The Popular Science Monthly, July, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
The psychology of the speculative mania is very simple. There is first,
greed, furnishing the necessary emotional excitement; then imitation;
then precipitate, unreasoning action. In the panic, the psychological
sequence is the same, except that fear takes the place of greed. The
stampede among animals may be taken as the type of all panics. It is a
reflex phenomenon consisting merely of contagious fear and precipitate,
unintelligent flight. Fear and flight constitute a most primitive form
of mental action, equalled in primitive character only by that other
form whose survival we have seen illustrated in wars and homicidal
manias, viz., anger and combat. Although the individual has long
outgrown these simple reflexes, yet in social excitement he reverts to
them. The recrudescence of the first of these two forms is seen in the
case of panics in theatres and burning buildings, where social fear is
followed by unintelligent flight, there being a temporary paralysis
of reason, prudence, the power of choosing means to ends, respect for
women and consideration for the weak and feeble.
The limits of this paper permit me only to refer to other forms of the
craze illustrating the same laws. In fads and fashions of all kinds,
the behavior of the social personality is different only in degree
from that already described in the more serious epidemics. The law
of imitation is the same, but there is less excitement and emotional
disturbance and consequently a lesser paralysis of the higher mental
faculties and a lesser return to barbaric impulses. Whereas the others
may be called forms of social paranoia, these may be called forms of
social monomania. A single idea fills the public mind, and as a result
this idea is unduly exalted as to its importance and worth. The higher
mental powers are paralyzed only so far as that there is a perverted
judgment as to the relative importance of things and consequently
a more or less distorted view of the world and its values. Perhaps
the simplest form of this craze is seen in the epidemic character of
children’s games. At different times of the season different games
completely fill the social consciousness of the child-world, so
that for the moment there is no interest in any other game. New and
interesting sports, such, for instance, as golf, often fill the social
adult consciousness in the same way. Then there are social and literary
fads, crazes in musical airs, fashions in dress, furniture, houses and
carriages, without number. Crazes of all kinds have found a prolific
soil in America. The American mind is highly suggestible. One fad after
another rages over the country and in some cases reduces the aggregate
mind to a condition of idiocy. The Dewey craze in New York City last
year is an illustration of this. Nothing but a sort of hypnotic
distortion of intellectual vision could cause grown men to stand in
line for an hour in order that they might sit for an instant in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account