Gustave Le Bon

Gustave Le Bon was a French social psychologist famous for studying crowd behavior. He believed that when people gather in large groups, their individual reasoning and self-control diminish, leading to impulsive, emotional, and sometimes irrational actions. Le Bon suggested that crowds act as a collective mind, influenced by suggestions and symbols, often driven by shared emotions rather than logic. His ideas have influenced understanding of social dynamics, mass psychology, and the ways collective behavior can shape events, though some aspects are debated or considered outdated today.