Jose Ortega Y Gasset

Lauriston wrote the following: " . . . quote attributed to Chairman Mao Tse-Tung: "The mass of people is stupid!"
http://lauristonletter.blogspot.com/2007/02/to-live-like-capitalist-pig-think-like.html

I was reminded (yes, here comes a reminiscence!) of Jose Ortega y Gassets Revolt of the Masses. Have you read this book? I urge you to read it. You'll recognize market behaviour!

I wanted to quote something from the book. I had the quote handy prior to my computer crash, so this serves as my "resurrecting" it if you will. JOYG (initials, not Joy Global!) in this book describes the rather frightful image of "mass man". If you have ever been one to think your own way and travel upstream rather than mainstream, you will recognize this immediately.

From Page 97. JOYG's intro into ordinary man, who guided by others, is thrust into self governance, accordingly there is this look at "this new type of mass man"

"If from the view-point of what concerns public life, the psychological structure of this new type of mass man be studied, what we find is as follows: (1) An inborn, root-impression that life is easy, plentiful, without any grave limitation; consequently, each average man finds within himself a sensation of power and triumph which, (2) invites him to stand up for himself as he is, to look upon his moral and intellectual endowment as excellent, complete. This contentment with himself leads him to shut himself off from any external court of appeal; not to listen, not to submit his opinions to judgment, not to consider others' existence. His intimate feeling of power urges him always to exercise predominance. He will act then as if he and his like were the only beings existing in the world; and consequent, (3) will intervene in all matters, imposing his own vulgar views without respect or regard for others, without limit or reserve, that is to say, in accordance with a system of direct action."
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I always found the above helpful in understanding the lack of genuine non-partisan work. I think that the above can be attributable to any party in power in any country. And, I think that the above can be reduced to "The mass of people is stupid."