---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, these eager and apprehensive men of…"
description: "\"“Now, these eager and apprehensive men of small property constitute the class which is constantly increased by the equality of conditions. Hence, in de..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_1840_now-these-eager-and-apprehensive-men-of_1061795.png"
---

#  Now, these eager and apprehensive men of small property…

![“Now, these eager and apprehensive men of small property constitute the class which is constantly increased by the equality of conditions. Hence, in democratic communities, the majority of the people do not clearly see what they have to gain by a revolution, but they continually and in a thousand…” quote by Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_1840_now-these-eager-and-apprehensive-men-of_1061795.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_1840_now-these-eager-and-apprehensive-men-of_1061795.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_1840_now-these-eager-and-apprehensive-men-of_1061795.png)

> ““Now, these eager and apprehensive men of small property constitute the class which is constantly increased by the equality of conditions. Hence, in democratic communities, the majority of the people do not clearly see what they have to gain by a revolution, but they continually and in a thousand ways feel that they might lose by one.””

[Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/)

## About This Quote

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

In democracies, people often lack clear revolutionary goals, fearing loss more than envisioning gain.

**In simple terms:** People fear loss more than seeing benefits of change.

Key Takeaway

Recognize both risks and opportunities.

Themes

politics democracy revolution fear gain

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political movements
- social reforms
- public discourse

Key Concepts

social contract collective action

Questions to Reflect On

- What benefits might be overlooked?
- How can fear be transformed into motivation?

A Different Perspective

Revolutionary change may still be necessary despite uncertainty.

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[1840](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1840-302/) [Apprehensive Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apprehensive-men-2597509/) [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Conditions Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions-democratic-2597506/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democratic Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-communities-1756111/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Increased Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increased-equality-2597507/) [Ows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ows-138551/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolution Continually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-continually-2597508/)

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