--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracies are notorious for a tendency…" description: "\"Democracies are notorious for a tendency to obey the feelings rather than the mind; thus the nature of democracies often makes itdifficult to conclude ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/amos-elon-57317_democracies_democracies-are-notorious-for-a-tendency_296890.png" --- # Democracies are notorious for a tendency to obey the… ![“Democracies are notorious for a tendency to obey the feelings rather than the mind; thus the nature of democracies often makes itdifficult to conclude a peace after a hard-won war. Generous victors are rare.” quote by Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/amos-elon-57317_democracies_democracies-are-notorious-for-a-tendency_296890.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/amos-elon-57317_democracies_democracies-are-notorious-for-a-tendency_296890.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/amos-elon-57317_democracies_democracies-are-notorious-for-a-tendency_296890.png) > “Democracies are notorious for a tendency to obey the feelings rather than the mind; thus the nature of democracies often makes itdifficult to conclude a peace after a hard-won war. Generous victors are rare.” [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracies prioritize emotions over reason, making lasting peace after war difficult. **In simple terms:** Democracies favor feelings over logic. Key Takeaway Balance emotion with reason. Themes politics peace democracy Mood analytical serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - peace negotiations - public opinion - war aftermath Key Concepts emotional governance post‑war reconciliation Questions to Reflect On - How can rational discourse be fostered? - What role does public sentiment play? A Different Perspective Emotions can also drive compassion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conclude Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclude-peace-2843525/) [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracies Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies-makes-2843523/) [Democracies Notorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies-notorious-2843524/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-democracies-993319/) [Notorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notorious/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [It is in the nature of democracies, perhaps, that while visionaries are sometimes necessary to make them, once made they can be managed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramachandra-guha/it-is-in-the-nature-of-democracies-perhaps-that-while-visionaries-are/) [Ramachandra Guha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramachandra-guha/) > [If we act together along these lines, we will create conditions, the conditions for trust that Shinzō Abe speaks about, so as to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/if-we-act-together-along-these-lines-we-will-create-conditions-the/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [It is certain that there may be extraordinary mental activity with an extremely small absolute mass of nervous matter: thus the wonderfully diversified instincts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/it-is-certain-that-there-may-be-extraordinary-mental-activity-with-an/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“Fuck. I hated being notorious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/fuck-i-hated-being-notorious/) [Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [These people, as far as I can see, do not congregate in the notorious centers of the movement, like the North Beach in San…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/these-people-as-far-as-i-can-see-do-not-congregate-in-the-notorious/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [It is quite exhilarating to speak about a God who has an incredible bias, a notorious bias in favor of the downtrodden. 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I'm worried if I'm not worried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-crome/i-am-a-notorious-and-constant-worrier-i-m-worried-if-i-m-not-worried/) [Karla Crome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-crome/) > [“Budget airlines are notorious for over selling their flights and bumping passengers when too many show up!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/budget-airlines-are-notorious-for-over-selling-their-flights-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [It is notorious that the desire to live increases as life itself shortens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/it-is-notorious-that-the-desire-to-live-increases-as-life-itself/) [Santiago Ramon y Cajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/) > [Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading in endangered species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/your-country-is-one-of-the-most-notorious-centres-of-trading-in/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/how-the-american-right-managed-to-convince-itself-that-the-programs/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The facts of variability, of the struggle for existence, of adaptation to conditions, were notorious enough; but none of us had suspected that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-facts-of-variability-of-the-struggle-for-existence-of-adaptation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) ## More by Amos Elon > [They are mostly Americans and almost all are Protestant. Many have a strong grounding in the Bible. In Jerusalem, they suddenly take off their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-elon/they-are-mostly-americans-and-almost-all-are-protestant-many-have-a/) [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) > [The brief legal emancipation of Jews during the Napoleonic wars released unparalleled economic, professional, and cultural energies. It was though a high dam had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-elon/the-brief-legal-emancipation-of-jews-during-the-napoleonic-wars/) [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) > [In Jerusalem, the various modes of worship essentially stood for the same cause but were equally hateful to one another. They never served as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-elon/in-jerusalem-the-various-modes-of-worship-essentially-stood-for-the/) [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) > [Jerusalem has been - and for many, still is - a metaphor for destruction and the vengeance of an offended God. She is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-elon/jerusalem-has-been-and-for-many-still-is-a-metaphor-for-destruction/) [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) > [Hindsight is not necessarily the best guide to understanding what really happened. The past is often as distorted by hindsight as it is clarified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-elon/hindsight-is-not-necessarily-the-best-guide-to-understanding-what/) [Amos Elon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) [Explore all 6 Amos Elon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-elon/) ## More Democracies quotes > [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [Our Declaration of Independence declares that democracies derive their power from the 'consent of the governed.' 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Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I think we need to be a superpower of human rights, of support for true grassroots democracy, not corporatist economic development, which suits our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-think-we-need-to-be-a-superpower-of-human-rights-of-support-for/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [The all but unanimous judgment seems to be that we, the democracies, are just as responsible for the rise of the dictators as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-all-but-unanimous-judgment-seems-to-be-that-we-the-democracies/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [“Whatever modern democracies may tell themselves about their commitment to free speech and to diversity of opinion, the values of a given society will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/whatever-modern-democracies-may-tell-themselves-about-their/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. Nothing is more evident in The Federalist than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/western-democracies-did-not-create-the-virtue-of-citizenship-on-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Browse all 231 Democracies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracies are notorious for a tendency to obey the feelings rather than the mind; thus the nature of democracies often makes itdifficult to conclude a peace after a hard-won war. 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