《乌合之众·第二编·群体的意见与信念·群体的领袖及其说服手段》第13节
This is the explanation of the fact that every opinion adopted by the populace always ends in implanting itself with great vigour in the highest social strata, however obvious be the absurdity of the triumphant opinion. This reaction of the lower upon the higher social classes is the more curious, owing to the circumstance that the beliefs of the crowd always have their origin to a greater or less extent in some higher idea, which has often remained without influence in the sphere in which it was evolved. Leaders and agitators, subjugated by this higher idea, take hold of it, distort it and create a sect which distorts it afresh, and then propagates it amongst the masses, who carry the process of deformation still further. Become a popular truth the idea returns, as it were, to its source and exerts an influence on the upper classes of a nation. In the long run it is intelligence that shapes the destiny of the world, but very indirectly. The philosophers who evolve ideas have long since returned to dust, when, as the result of the process I have just described, the fruit of their reflection ends by triumphing. Great power is given to ideas propagated by affirmation, repetition, and contagion by the circumstance that they acquire in time that mysterious force known as prestige.
注释摘要
勒庞在这一段里试图讲清楚一个看似矛盾的现象：为什么有些来自底层民众的观念，明明荒诞不经，最后却能势头不减地植入上层社会，甚至被精英阶层热烈拥抱。他要证明，这不只是一个简单的从下往上的渗透，而是一个更复杂的循环。 他指出，那些最终引发大众狂热的信仰，追本溯源，往往源于某种“更高的观念”——哲学家的抽象思辨、思想家提出的乌托邦理想。这些观念在它诞生的精英小圈子…