---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The goal of a great democracy should be…"
description: "\"The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not ease. It should be adequacy, not serenity.\" — Abram L. Sachar"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg"
---

#  The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not…

![“The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not ease. It should be adequacy, not serenity.” quote by Abram L. Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg)

> “The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not ease. It should be adequacy, not serenity.”

[Abram L. Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abram-l-sachar/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A great democracy should aim for genuine fulfillment and adequacy, not mere ease or serenity.

**In simple terms:** Democracy should pursue fulfillment, not just comfort.

Key Takeaway

Design policies that ensure meaningful well‑being.

Themes

democracy fulfillment adequacy goal serenity ease

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

adequacy:1 democracy:1 ease:1 fulfillment:1 goal:1 goals:0 serenity:1 should:0 great democracy:1 democracy fulfillment:0 adequacy serenity:0 ease adequacy:0

When to use this quote

- government programs
- social welfare
- civic engagement

Key Concepts

political philosophy human flourishing public policy

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines true fulfillment?
- How to balance comfort with challenge?

A Different Perspective

Ease may mask underlying inequities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adequacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adequacy/) [Adequacy Serenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adequacy-serenity-3554840/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-fulfillment-3554839/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Ease Adequacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease-adequacy-3554841/) [Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfillment/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Great Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-democracy-1567182/) [Serenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serenity/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/)

## Related quotes

> [Ours is a government of liberty by, through, and under the law. A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/ours-is-a-government-of-liberty-by-through-and-under-the-law-a-great/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [The fact that we've been a great democracy doesn't mean we will automatically keep being one if we keep waving the flag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/the-fact-that-we-ve-been-a-great-democracy-doesn-t-mean-we-will/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/a-great-democracy-has-got-to-be-progressive-or-it-will-soon-cease-to/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [“All those things happened before the reforms that ended bureaucratic practices. And those reforms made it possible for decisive men to take charge and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-christensen/all-those-things-happened-before-the-reforms-that-ended-bureaucratic/)

[Andreas Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-christensen/)

> [So many struggled so that all of us could have a voice in this great democracy and live up to the first three words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/so-many-struggled-so-that-all-of-us-could-have-a-voice-in-this-great/)

[Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/)

> [You think history is going to remember the United States as a great democracy? No, they're going to think of us as a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/you-think-history-is-going-to-remember-the-united-states-as-a-great/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [I welcome nonviolent protests as an exercise of our great democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/i-welcome-nonviolent-protests-as-an-exercise-of-our-great-democracy/)

[Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/)

> [A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/a-great-democracy-must-be-progressive-or-it-will-soon-cease-to-be-a/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [“A grayeyard is not a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/a-grayeyard-is-not-a-democracy-and-yet-death-is-the-great-democracy/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [It's abominable, and it's a disgrace to a great democracy to see what's happened in our country. The main reason for that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/it-s-abominable-and-it-s-a-disgrace-to-a-great-democracy-to-see-what/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [My joke about Aaron Sorkin is that The West Wing was a great show about democracy, run by Kim Jong-Il!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-whitford/my-joke-about-aaron-sorkin-is-that-the-west-wing-was-a-great-show/)

[Bradley Whitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-whitford/)

> [If we respect students abilities to define their own experiences, to generate their own hypotheses, and to discover new ways of categorizing the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-langer/if-we-respect-students-abilities-to-define-their-own-experiences-to/)

[Ellen Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-langer/)

> [To try to be happy is to try to build a machine with no other specification than that it shall run noiselessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/to-try-to-be-happy-is-to-try-to-build-a-machine-with-no-other/)

[J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/)

> [Adequacy is sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/adequacy-is-sufficient/)

[Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/)

> [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

## More by Abram L. Sachar

> [We have inherited new difficulties because we have inherited more privileges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abram-l-sachar/we-have-inherited-new-difficulties-because-we-have-inherited-more/)

[Abram L. Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abram-l-sachar/)

[Explore all 2 Abram L. Sachar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abram-l-sachar/)

## More Adequacy quotes

> [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [Adequacy is sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-osborne/adequacy-is-sufficient/)

[Adam Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-osborne/)

> [To try to be happy is to try to build a machine with no other specification than that it shall run noiselessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/to-try-to-be-happy-is-to-try-to-build-a-machine-with-no-other/)

[J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/)

> [If we respect students abilities to define their own experiences, to generate their own hypotheses, and to discover new ways of categorizing the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-langer/if-we-respect-students-abilities-to-define-their-own-experiences-to/)

[Ellen Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-langer/)

> [My whole academic career was totally out of Jewish anxiety, and issues surrounding achievement and adequacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/my-whole-academic-career-was-totally-out-of-jewish-anxiety-and-issues/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The refusal to belong to any school of thought, the repudiation of the adequacy of any body of beliefs whatever, and especially of systems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kaufmann/the-refusal-to-belong-to-any-school-of-thought-the-repudiation-of-the/)

[Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kaufmann/)

> [The glory does not lie in our inadequacy, but lies in the adequacy of Christ discovered in our weakness and in our insufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/the-glory-does-not-lie-in-our-inadequacy-but-lies-in-the-adequacy-of/)

[Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/)

> [To the best of my knowledge, every acute inpatient ward offers some inpatient group therapy experience. Indeed, the evidence supporting the efficacy of group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-every-acute-inpatient-ward-offers-some/)

[Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/)

> [“Mere adequacy is never adequate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/mere-adequacy-is-never-adequate/)

[John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/)

> [Way back in the day, when I first started and had delusions of adequacy as a cartoonist, I would listen to music. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/way-back-in-the-day-when-i-first-started-and-had-delusions-of/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [He had delusions of adequacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kerr/he-had-delusions-of-adequacy/)

[Walter Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kerr/)

> [Adequacy is the enemy of excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/adequacy-is-the-enemy-of-excellence/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military-establishment-will-be-tested/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Everyone wants rather to be pleasing to women and that desire is not altogether, though it is very largely, a manifestation of vanity. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/everyone-wants-rather-to-be-pleasing-to-women-and-that-desire-is-not/)

[J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/)

> [It is not his business to argue men into faith, for that cannot be done; but it is his business to demonstrate the intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/it-is-not-his-business-to-argue-men-into-faith-for-that-cannot-be/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

[Browse all 48 Adequacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adequacy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not ease. It should be adequacy, not serenity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Abram L. Sachar"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abram-l-sachar/the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be-fulfillment-not-ease-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adequacy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abram-l-sachar/the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be-fulfillment-not-ease-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/abram-l-sachar-106666_adequacy_the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be_1194027.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The goal of a great democracy should be fulfillment, not ease. It should be adequacy, not serenity.” — Abram L. Sachar",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Abram L. Sachar",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abram-l-sachar/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The goal of a great democracy...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abram-l-sachar/the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be-fulfillment-not-ease-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abram-l-sachar/the-goal-of-a-great-democracy-should-be-fulfillment-not-ease-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
