MENTAL EPIDEMICS 273
change the figure, the multitude of easily influenced minds constitute so much highly inflammable material which a very little spark will ignite, and as the flames spread struc tures which are well fortified against fire are irresistibly en veloped in the general conflagration. We must not forget that all men are in some measure suggestible, and as the vol ume of suggestion increases it subdues one after another the more highly organized and independent minds in the re verse order of their stability. A multitude of weak minds reacting upon one another and intensifying their common excitement can upset the rational processes of a stronger mind on which they individually would have but an insig nificant influence. Herein lies the chief danger of a mental epidemic. It is always likely to result in the reversal of the normal social process the leadership of the stronger minds ; and so, in group action, it usually means the domina tion of intelligence by instinct.
2. A mental epidemic may occur among a people of good intelligence if the suggested idea which starts the excite ment is such that their past experience furnishes no stand ard by which it can be critically tested. It should be kept in mind that all people are highly suggestible as to matters that lie beyond the range of their experience; though even under this condition all are not equally suggestible, because, apart from temperamental predispositions which may have something to do with one s responsiveness to suggestions, there is in such a case no obstruction to the suggestion ex cept the cautious and critical disposition of mind which may have had its origin in past experience. This critical mental attitude implies a somewhat varied experience and consider able reflection, and not a large proportion of any popula tion is likely to have acquired it. It does not, therefore, prove to be a very serious obstruction to the general accept ance of the idea which generates the contagious emotion. The people generally being unable to judge critically the sug gestions which thus lie outside of the range of their knowl edge, and not having acquired the critical capacity which en-
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