【84】The Revolt of the masses

1.

    Through SNS, we can get various information, such as the state of Japanese government, or that of others. In 2020, we face serious problem, the spread of covid-19. Since I was told to stay home and started to collect the social state, I have been seeing so many sad things that are concerned with the assault of mass that behave unreasonably. But being objective doesn't mean cleverness —— we must be careful whether I belong to such people unconsciously. Our stupid and thoughtless remark become a part of social opinion. we should think about it consciously.

   There is one fact which, whether for good or ill, is of utmost importance in the public life of Europe at the present moment. This fact is the accession of the masses to complete social power. As the masses by definition, neither should nor can direct their own personal existence, and still less rule society in general, this fact means that actually Europe is suffering from the greatest crisis that can afflict peoples, nations, and civilization. Such a crisis has occurred more than once in history. Its characteristics and its consequences are well known. So also is its name. It is called the rebellion of the masses.

    This book is written in 1932, 100 years will have past soon. Around this year, Nazi Party was gradually on the rise and people started to worship one person, Adolf Hitler, blindly. But this is not the guilty of only German, I think. After WW1, German was under serious crisis, so it can also be said that people's eye's are destroyed by difficult situation. Historically, these disaster, rebellion of the masses, which are not rare, such as Which Hunt. Anyway, there was the storm of the terrible state, fascism, after WW1, and this was the Greatest Danger in 20th century. 
     However, this fact became rather more profound in 21st century. mass media show surprising development, and people's opinion can be easily manipulated. In this condition, there appear dangerous kind of people; their characteristics is that they don't think themselves, don't study well, and feel comfortable if they have the same opinion or spend same life with others. "the fool is much worth than knave, for knave does take a rest sometimes, the fool never." This is cited by Anatole France. Ortega also points out accurately that the intelligence of the masses isn't higher than we think. 

2.

    when I was reading this book, I cannot help but thinking about people using Twitter, including me. Twitter is something like inferno. people boast about their tiny event, quarrel with each other, and I feel exhausted the most, offer opinion or facts which is not accurate or malicious, that may make other people confused. They have the same tendency, I suppose, seeing such noisy people. Actually they are not interested in the problem. They only look for something which can be outlet for their annoyance. Of course, Annoyance is important point which starts the attitude to solve some difficult and serious problem, but for them, it is not the matter how the problem is solved, because they don't have enough skill or knowledge, and interest. They feel satisfied with their possession, and Ortega called "Self-Satisfied Age", the member of society is passive, doesn't pursue the fact actively.
    The ability of the mass is limited. What is the most important is we cannot avoid being the member of the society; We have to make an effort to be "catching myself within an inch of the fool", then "in that effort lies our intelligence".