ASSIGNMENT #3 - CCB #3&4

CCB #3

Leaders and Crowds: With Power Comes Great Responsibilty

"To know the art of impressing the imagination of crowds is to know the art of governing them." - Le Bon


All good leaders know how to captivate his or her audience. They have the power to motivate and influence a crowd to achieve great things. This power could be abused to produce great evil or it could be used to accomplish great good. Hitler was a great leader who abused this power. Before Hitler had any real power he started mesmerizing the small crowd he preached to. At that time Hitler was poor and was jealous of the many successful Jewish businessmen living in Germany. He started preaching his message to a small crowd and slowly he gained support. After he gained power over Germany he started spreading his message of hate through propaganda and through mass gatherings. Le Bon also stated that crowds are stupid. This was true in the case of Nazi Germany. Hitler brainwashed his audience so well, that even though immoral acts were committed no one questioned his decisions. Although leaders can influence crowds negatively they also have the power to influence a crowd positively. For example a priest or minister can influence his congregation to accomplish many good deeds. Other world icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa have made significant positive differences in the world.

Clip from Gandhi







CCB #4

The Effects of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication

“In one survey, approximately 25 percent of the respondents who used the Internet regularly spent less time talking in person and on the phone with friends and family members.” – Knapp and Vangelisti


Interpersonal communication by definition is the interaction between two people. The internet has made a profound impact on the way interpersonal communication. It has introduced many new mediums of human communication. Some examples are instant messaging, online dating, blogs, forums, etc. The article “Interpersonal Communication and the Internet” points out that more and more people rely heavily on the internet for communicating which in turn causes feelings of isolation. I believe that this statement is false as I the internet presents many opportunities to communicate with others, it is just more electronic. The internet makes interpersonal communication much more convenient. Intimate relationships can start with online dating services. Online communities such as Myspace or Facebook exist for people to interact with each other to avoid feelings of isolation on the internet. Although the internet has created new mediums of communication, I believe that because of this people are avoiding more traditional methods of communication. For example, I have noticed that since my family started using high speed internet I have barely used the phone to talk to friends, most of my communication has been done over MSN Messenger. This past week I completed an assignment with a partner I have never met personally. Since we could not find time to meet up we did our entire assignment over MSN Messenger. Another example would be the use of postal services. My parents used to receive many letters from relatives located all around the world. Now, with the internet they receive letters from relatives much quicker and at no cost via email. These are just examples of the evolution of the human race; however it is important to not forget the past as it can be useful.