S E LL I N G TO C O L L E C T I VE BUY E R 55
m ore st rongly th a n h e woul d with o u t such
social supp ort. - It i s i n suc h a sense, then ,
tha t w e sp eak of a c ollec tive mind a s differen t
from th e i ndividual min ds compo sing i t.
Newspap ers an d m agazine s offe r goo d in
ternal evidenc e o f th e existenc e of th e c ol
l ective mind. Th e edito r write s i n th e pl ural
numbe r, i mplying tha t h e i s spokesma n o r
ch airma n o f th e group. H e e mph asize s thi s
rel a tion ship by using such p ra ses a s, “ E dit or’s
E a sy Ch ai r, ” “ Th e E dit o r’s D ra we r” ; by
h e ading his featu re sec tion s : “ Frien d o f
th e P e opl e , ” “ Colum n fo r Wo rkers, ” “ Our
B oy s a n d Gi rl s” ; implying th a t h e is sea te d
i n th e mids t o f hi s rea ders, all o f wh om co n
stitute a p sychical family.
We may a ssert , th en , th a t p sych ol ogi cally
speaking, th e rea ders o f a sal es me dium c on
stitute a n enti ty, a p ubl ic, which is no t a l oo se
a ggrega tio n of isol at e d a n d indivi dual minds
b u t a n organic union, c oal esc e d int o on e c ol
l ective min d i n th e sen se j ust m enti on ed.
Each public uniq ue. Th e re is furth e r c ompli
c ation in th e fa c t th a t ea ch p ublic i s uniq ue.
The Chicag o A merica n p ublic, fo r exampl e,
diffe rs from th a t o f th e E vening P o st. Th e
reade rs of th e Co untry Gentleman diffe r from
the rea ders of th e F ir eside Comp anio n.
nextflipdebug5
(nextflipdebug5)
#1