Political tags – such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth – are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort. Robert A. Heinlein
About This Quote

When he pontificates on politics, Mark Twain often uses the example of "The Man of the Crowd" to illustrate his points. The man in this story is a bicycle messenger who can be counted on to deliver goods quickly and efficiently. He is also an avid reader of the newspaper, listening to gossip and political talk, and thinking about things in general. In this allegory, Twain suggests that the main difference between the Bicycle Messenger and most people is that he looks for a person's character in addition to their political affiliation. He does not try to pigeonhole people into a political category.

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