--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our public life withers when only the…" description: "\"Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg" --- # Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices… ![“Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg) > “Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When extreme voices dominate, average citizens feel powerless, eroding democratic health. **In simple terms:** Extreme voices drown out ordinary people, weakening democracy. Key Takeaway Encourage diverse participation and protect moderate voices. Themes democracy media voice equality Mood concerned hopeful Type political analytical When to use this quote - community meetings - local elections - public forums - media literacy Key Concepts pluralism political engagement social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions amplify average citizens? - What safeguards protect against elite capture? A Different Perspective If extreme voices are ignored, they may become more radical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [“When we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obama/when-we-don-t-pay-close-attention-to-the-decisions-made-by-our/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obama/) > [When we don't pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-we-don-t-pay-close-attention-to-the-decisions-made-by-our-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“This is the world we live in today: a noisy, cluttered place in which the loudest voices get the most attention. And they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/this-is-the-world-we-live-in-today-a-noisy-cluttered-place-in-which/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [Democracy breaks the unity of the Romanian people, dividing it into parties, stirring it up, and so, disunited, exposing it to face the united…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/democracy-breaks-the-unity-of-the-romanian-people-dividing-it-into/) [Corneliu Zelea Codreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/) > [The American people are not expecting miracles. I think if you talk to the average person right now that they would say, 'Well, look,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-are-not-expecting-miracles-i-think-if-you-talk-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Now, that's not my analysis. That's the analysis of economists who have looked at this. And, and that kind of top, top-down economics, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-that-s-not-my-analysis-that-s-the-analysis-of-economists-who-have/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If you ask the average person they'd tell ya, "Naw, it's much more dangerous," despite the fact that violent crime has dropped precipitously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-you-ask-the-average-person-they-d-tell-ya-naw-it-s-much-more/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ This book \[Dreams from My Father\] was more of a reflection on my public life, now as a U.S. senator and before that as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-book-dreams-from-my-father-was-more-of-a-reflection-on-my-public/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can be much more sarcastic and, I think, sometimes withering in my assessments of things than I allow to show in my public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-be-much-more-sarcastic-and-i-think-sometimes-withering-in-my/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [One of the interesting things about being in public life is there are constantly these pressures being placed on you from different sides. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-of-the-interesting-things-about-being-in-public-life-is-there-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-country-of-ours-has-more-wealth-than-any-nation-but-that-s-not/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My dad was not a footballer. He wasn't anything remotely what the average person would say was a role model - but in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/my-dad-was-not-a-footballer-he-wasn-t-anything-remotely-what-the/) [Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Average person quotes > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [My dad was not a footballer. He wasn't anything remotely what the average person would say was a role model - but in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/my-dad-was-not-a-footballer-he-wasn-t-anything-remotely-what-the/) [Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/) > [The harsh truth is that Trump is a living co-morbidity, he's over 70, out of shape, eats terribly and doesn't believe in science. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-harsh-truth-is-that-trump-is-a-living-co-morbidity-he-s-over-70/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [The average person would have quit at the first failure. That’s why there have been many average men and only one Edison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-average-person-would-have-quit-at-the-first-failure-that-s-why/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [There's barely any aspect of our modern lives that hasn't had a mathematical contribution at some point and yet, if you asked the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/there-s-barely-any-aspect-of-our-modern-lives-that-hasn-t-had-a/) [Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/) > [I'd like to think that maybe the average person is rational, and they realise that I'm not this crazy monster that, at times, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-d-like-to-think-that-maybe-the-average-person-is-rational-and-they/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I know about Woodstock probably as much as your average person who is over 30, where I'd know Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-know-about-woodstock-probably-as-much-as-your-average-person-who-is/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [I get a little angry about this highhanded scrapping of the look of things. What else have we to go by? How else can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-culkin-banning/i-get-a-little-angry-about-this-highhanded-scrapping-of-the-look-of/) [Margaret Culkin Banning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-culkin-banning/) > [If ergonomists have their way, future products won't be built for some hypothetical average person but will conform to the biomechanical needs of whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-ergonomists-have-their-way-future-products-won-t-be-built-for-some/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [My mother got sick when I was rich. And my mother, you know … I don’t really want to get into it, but my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/my-mother-got-sick-when-i-was-rich-and-my-mother-you-know-i-don-t/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [To measure your needs by that which is projected via mass media is a mistake that has no mercy. The average person views a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haki-r-madhubuti/to-measure-your-needs-by-that-which-is-projected-via-mass-media-is-a/) [Haki R. Madhubuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haki-r-madhubuti/) > [We want the average person to use it and think that it makes the experience of using Pinterest better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-want-the-average-person-to-use-it-and-think-that-it-makes-the/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [Some of the downbeat pictures, in my opinion, should never be made at all. Most of them are made for personal satisfaction, to impress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/some-of-the-downbeat-pictures-in-my-opinion-should-never-be-made-at/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) [Browse all 443 Average person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-most-extreme-voices-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Average person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-most-extreme-voices-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/barack-obama-17_average-person_our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-mo_1497491.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down…” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our public life withers when only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-most-extreme-voices-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-public-life-withers-when-only-the-most-extreme-voices-get/#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 } } ] } ```