Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.

Aberjhani
About This Quote

Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one's beloved extended community. This quote is saying that democracy is both a way to give each person their own voice but also having some kind of accountability for how that voice affects others. Democracy allows individuals the freedom to have their say, but it also ensures that everyone's voice has an impact on everyone else's life. What this means is that, unlike in a dictatorship where people are only heard if they agree with what is being said, people can't "only" be heard when they agree and cannot say anything that would hurt others.

Source: Splendid Literarium: A Treasury Of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, And Essays

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