The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-22
PSYCHOLOGY OF
The CROWDS AT
The AUTO SHOW

In the interesting study of crowd
psychology, which is the composite
spirit of any gathering of individuals,
each intent on the same object, the
agglonerate consciousness of the au-
tomobile show crowd certainly de-
serves q share of attention To the
trained observer crowds have just as
distinct a personality as have indivi-
duals. Each of --os some one DOM
inant note in his nature, cheerfulness,
grouchiness, gentleness, brutai1ty,
| trustfulness, suspiciouSness, generoSl-
ty, miserliness, or what not ana
crowds too have tn if distinctive spir-
ituaI characteristics, subtly mingled
of the common desires, hopes, fears,
feelings of multiplicity OF individual
personalities. AS the baseball grand
stand SWAPS with it's host of excited
fans, there is born an evanescent
mass personality tensely mingled of
hope and fear, ready to break britt1ely
Into passing delight or transient de-
Spair The mass personality of the
crowd in church has the dominant
note of q1ietude, of temporary detach-
Tnent, so that one listens Instructive
ly for the delicate accompaniment of
i gentle, SHORES. The composite person
a1ity Of the horde bent on lynching
a negro or killing an umpire, by sug-
gestion would bring into sensitive nos
trils the pungent, nusky reek of wild
animals. The mass consciousness of
the revival meeting is dominated by
shallow exultation, burning the more
fierceIy for it's very ephenerality and
dying out into sudden, Shamefaced
darkness. Sometimes the contributing
factors are so interrningled I that it.
is hard to distinguish this dominant
crowd trait, but in the automobile
show crowd there is no such difficulty
the all pervading, clearly dominating
note is one of contentment, of salts
faction.
The individuals who are each year
drawn as with a magnet to the ex-.
hibition Of the latest achievements in
the field of mechanical genius belong
necessarily tn the class upon whom
the goddess Fortuna has bestowed a
iproIetariat is not Intimately interested
in motor cars, except to keep out Of
their paths. The people who pay
money to enter a building with the
express purpose of buying motor cars
| or of dalying with ths thought Of
such buying, have certainly acquired
or had thrust upon them, money be-
yond the mere need for living. OBJ
viously they are those who direct the
life of the country in its various
courses, for money beyond life needs
is not given to those who merely
serve. These then are the substantial
citizens, the leaders, those who have
an interest in the country beside the
merely sentimental one of pure pa
SHAPED our national life for what it
is. Conscious of their part in making
all this possible they must carry with
them always a certain SAVIOR of salts
faction, for it is not given to any
man to look upon his llandiwork and
refuse to call it good.
A composite view of the automobile
show visitor visualizes for US one who
is able to afford a considerable num-
Der of the good things of life. His
IL =
cred Gin proof whereof notice how
easy it is to pick out from the crowd
the poor but honest newspar er1nen
whom duty and not pleasure sends
| thither), his stomach is pIentifully
lined with pleasant food, the latest in
staIlment of which was probably add
ed just before his visit to the show.
In addition to the necessities, which
| he has in such quantity and quality
that they are almost luxuries per Sc,
he is able to lay out a certain amount
in the actual 1uxurieS Of life, the
things which make it not endurable,
| but richer and better worth the> liv-
ing. He feels that heaven is lust
awarding its favors with discretion.
| Contentment rests upon him like a
cloak. His present errand is to ac-
quire or to contemplate the acquisf-
ton of another means of making life
q little pleasanter. "A seennly mission
and one which, with it's suggestion
of] pleasant things which are certain
4 to ensue from it, increases his funda-
mental contentnent. Undoubtedly our
composite show visitor quotes Brown
ing, in spirit if not with lips, Gods
in his heaven, ais well with the
world.
SO it is that a subtle SAVIOR of well
fed, well-groomed, weH-bred content
ment seems to permeate the entire as
senlblage. If ones ears We're keen
Ienough perhaps one might catch the
essence of UNCONSCIOUS prayer wing
| ing its way from the distinguished
| gathering UP to the lofty regions.
where sit the gods of things as they
Iare.-Motor.
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