Massenpsychologie und Ich-Analyse

Sigmund Freud published his famous essay on the relationship between the individual and the masses in 1921. Explicitly referencing the French sociologist and psychologist Gustave Le Bon, he notes that the individual feels a sense of security in the crowd and therefore develops feelings of omnipotence, which are accompanied by a diminishment of conscious personality and a tendency for the crowd to engage in self-amplifying emotional actions. Although Freud's essay was written in the context of the political movements and leaders emerging after World War I, his brilliant analysis remains highly relevant in light of current disturbances at events such as sports games or demonstrations.