--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He talked about democracy and good…" description: "\"“He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a good world where everyone did the best he could for the common good of all.”\" — Betty Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png" --- # He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a… ![“He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a good world where everyone did the best he could for the common good of all.” quote by Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png) > ““He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a good world where everyone did the best he could for the common good of all.”” [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes that democracy thrives when individuals act responsibly and strive for the collective welfare. **In simple terms:** Democracy needs responsible, caring citizens. Key Takeaway Focus on contributing to the common good. Themes democracy citizenship community ethics Mood hopeful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteer work - local politics - community projects - public service Key Concepts civic responsibility common good social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can we encourage civic engagement in marginalized groups? - What responsibilities do we share for the common good? A Different Perspective It may overlook systemic barriers that limit individuals' ability to contribute equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-good/) [Good citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizenship/) [Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy is good for world peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/democracy-is-good-for-world-peace/) [Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/) > [Democracy is not a good that people can enjoy without trouble. It is, on the contrary, a treasure that must be daily defended and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/democracy-is-not-a-good-that-people-can-enjoy-without-trouble-it-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Of course democracy is good, but it is a process, not a prescription.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-rania-of-jordan/of-course-democracy-is-good-but-it-is-a-process-not-a-prescription/) [Queen Rania of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-rania-of-jordan/) > [Democracy is too good to share with just anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-rees/democracy-is-too-good-to-share-with-just-anybody/) [Nigel Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-rees/) > [We tie ourselves in knots when we act as if democracy is good for the United States and Israel but not for the Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/we-tie-ourselves-in-knots-when-we-act-as-if-democracy-is-good-for-the/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [I always assume that democracy is the only good form of government, quite frankly, and democracy is always to be preferred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeane-kirkpatrick/i-always-assume-that-democracy-is-the-only-good-form-of-government/) [Jeane Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeane-kirkpatrick/) > [“Well, our economic system "works," it just works in the interests of the masters, and I'd like to see one that works in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/well-our-economic-system-works-it-just-works-in-the-interests-of-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Democracy, good governance and modernity cannot be imported or imposed from outside a country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/democracy-good-governance-and-modernity-cannot-be-imported-or-imposed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is good. 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I'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/yes-when-i-get-big-and-have-my-own-home-no-plush-chairs-and-lace/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Several times that day, the name or thought of Papa had come up. And each time, Francie had felt a flash of tenderness instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/several-times-that-day-the-name-or-thought-of-papa-had-come-up-and/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [As long as one can suffer, one is living…live and suffer until life is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/as-long-as-one-can-suffer-one-is-living-live-and-suffer-until-life-is/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Sissy told them they were way behind the times; that midwives were things of the past. 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It gets no sun, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/who-wants-to-die-everything-struggles-to-live-look-at-that-tree/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [It takes a lot of doing to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/it-takes-a-lot-of-doing-to-die/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“She sat in the sunshine watching the life on the street and guarding within herself, her own mystery of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/she-sat-in-the-sunshine-watching-the-life-on-the-street-and-guarding/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [...the reading, the observing, the living from day to day. It was something that had been born into her and her only - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/the-reading-the-observing-the-living-from-day-to-day-it-was-something/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/people-always-think-that-happiness-is-a-faraway-thing-something/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Hildy O’Dair is old for her age,” she thought. “It’s like powder was sprinkled on her yellow hair. But she’s not much older than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/hildy-o-dair-is-old-for-her-age-she-thought-it-s-like-powder-was/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“One day they’re babies in buggies and the next day they’re in here taking picks. Kids grow up quick in this neighborhood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/one-day-they-re-babies-in-buggies-and-the-next-day-they-re-in-here/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“If she never had any lovers, she kicks herself around when the change comes, thinking of all the fun she could have had, didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/if-she-never-had-any-lovers-she-kicks-herself-around-when-the-change/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) [Explore all 306 Betty Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## More Common good quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Advocacy groups, politicians, and bureaucrats use the government to advance their private good instead of the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-miller/advocacy-groups-politicians-and-bureaucrats-use-the-government-to/) [Joel Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-miller/) > [With a full century of contrary proof in our possession and despite our demonstrated capacity for cooperative teamwork, some among us seem to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/with-a-full-century-of-contrary-proof-in-our-possession-and-despite/) [Dwight D. 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At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Once we are bound together to our brothers by a common good that is outside us, then we can breathe. Experience teaches us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/once-we-are-bound-together-to-our-brothers-by-a-common-good-that-is/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [The original Greek word "idiotes" referred to people who might have had a high IQ, but were so self-involved that they focused exclusively on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hightower/the-original-greek-word-idiotes-referred-to-people-who-might-have-had/) [Jim Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hightower/) > [People who reject transcendent authority can no longer persuade one another through rational arguments; everything is reduced to personal opinion. Debates about ideas thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/people-who-reject-transcendent-authority-can-no-longer-persuade-one/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [I am a strong believer in the free market. I am a strong believer in capitalism. But, I am also a strong believer that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-am-a-strong-believer-in-the-free-market-i-am-a-strong-believer-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Leadership: The skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunter/leadership-the-skill-of-influencing-people-to-work-enthusiastically/) [James Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunter/) > [“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/government-is-instituted-for-the-common-good-for-the-protection/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [When it all boils down, its about embracing each others stories and maybe even finding that synergy to collaborate for the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-jones/when-it-all-boils-down-its-about-embracing-each-others-stories-and/) [Dhani Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-jones/) > [Even the best weapon is an unhappy tool, hateful to living things. 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We did not hear enough a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/throughout-the-1980-s-we-did-hear-too-much-about-individual-gain-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 375 Common good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a good world where everyone did the best he could for the common good of all.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Betty Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citizenship-and-about-a-good-world/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citizenship-and-about-a-good-world/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/betty-smith-1012_common-good_he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citiz_287745.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He talked about democracy and good citizenship and about a good world where everyone did the best he could…” — Betty Smith", "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": "Betty Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He talked about democracy and good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citizenship-and-about-a-good-world/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/he-talked-about-democracy-and-good-citizenship-and-about-a-good-world/#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 } } ] } ```