--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We pride ourselves on our democracy, but…" description: "\"We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the way it actually works, I think it is worthy of contempt.\" — Caroline Lucas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png" --- # We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the… ![“We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the way it actually works, I think it is worthy of contempt.” quote by Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png) > “We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the way it actually works, I think it is worthy of contempt.” [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy often fails in practice, leading to contempt for its shortcomings **In simple terms:** Real politics can be disappointing and contemptible Key Takeaway Critically evaluate democratic institutions and seek reform Themes politics democracy disillusionment critique Mood critical skeptical Type political analytical When to use this quote - voting - policy advocacy - civic education Key Concepts institutional failure public trust erosion political cynicism Questions to Reflect On - What reforms could improve democratic function? - How can citizens stay engaged despite flaws? A Different Perspective May overlook successes of democracy; can breed apathy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) ## Related quotes > [“Should we not think ourselves worthy of contempt to dote upon a perishing glory, to expect support from an arm of flesh, when there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-symington/should-we-not-think-ourselves-worthy-of-contempt-to-dote-upon-a/) [William Symington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-symington/) > [I certainly think I've given people a lot to think about as to whether I'm worthy of standing next to the greats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chipper-jones/i-certainly-think-i-ve-given-people-a-lot-to-think-about-as-to/) [Chipper Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chipper-jones/) > [Most actors on most days don't think they're worthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/most-actors-on-most-days-don-t-think-they-re-worthy/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [I'm pretty moral about what I do. If I didn't think I was worthy of doing something, I wouldn't do it. I ain't gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-m-pretty-moral-about-what-i-do-if-i-didn-t-think-i-was-worthy-of/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [You have to be the one promoting yourself. If you don't think that you're worthy, you're never going to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/you-have-to-be-the-one-promoting-yourself-if-you-don-t-think-that-you/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [I don't ever look past anyone or think that they're not worthy. Of course they're worthy, they're warriors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urijah-faber/i-don-t-ever-look-past-anyone-or-think-that-they-re-not-worthy-of/) [Urijah Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urijah-faber/) > [She doesn’t think she’s worthy to live. But she doesn’t realize, she is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-raymond/she-doesn-t-think-she-s-worthy-to-live-but-she-doesn-t-realize-she-is/) [Derek Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-raymond/) > [You’re worthy because the Great Spirit, or Universe, or God, or whatever you want to call a higher power, has put you on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/you-re-worthy-because-the-great-spirit-or-universe-or-god-or-whatever/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [“I guess i never analyzed it. I didn't think i was worthy, but yes, i've been in love with her for...ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlen-aymes/i-guess-i-never-analyzed-it-i-didn-t-think-i-was-worthy-but-yes-i-ve/) [Kahlen Aymes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlen-aymes/) > [If you think you are WORTHY to achieve, you are RIGHT. If you think you lack and are NOT WORTHY to achieve, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-you-think-you-are-worthy-to-achieve-you-are-right-if-you-think-you/) Senoraroy > [I am a simple girl. My clothes are not fancy, my intelligence is not noteworthy, my talents are not many, and my looks are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-am-a-simple-girl-my-clothes-are-not-fancy-my-intelligence-is-not/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“Most people were raised to think they are not worthy. School is a process of taking beautiful kids who are filled with life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/most-people-were-raised-to-think-they-are-not-worthy-school-is-a/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [When I first got two stars, I didn't think I deserved it. Now I have three I think I am worthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-leung/when-i-first-got-two-stars-i-didn-t-think-i-deserved-it-now-i-have/) [Alvin Leung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-leung/) > [The biggest lie of all is that capitalism is democracy. We have no way of understanding democracy outside of the market, just as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/the-biggest-lie-of-all-is-that-capitalism-is-democracy-we-have-no-way/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [“I have never been able to understand where people got the idea that democracy was in some way opposed to tradition. It is obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-have-never-been-able-to-understand-where-people-got-the-idea-that/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More by Caroline Lucas > [A government can't cut its way out of a recession any more than you can dig yourself out of a hole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/a-government-can-t-cut-its-way-out-of-a-recession-any-more-than-you/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [When this coronavirus crisis is over, what kind of society will we be? A more important question is what kind of society do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/when-this-coronavirus-crisis-is-over-what-kind-of-society-will-we-be/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [I don't think Ed Miliband has the courage of his convictions. He's scared he'll be painted by the rightwing press as a throwback to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/i-don-t-think-ed-miliband-has-the-courage-of-his-convictions-he-s/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [Huge public spending and borrowing in the face of an existential crisis is clearly the right thing to do, as is putting people's health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/huge-public-spending-and-borrowing-in-the-face-of-an-existential/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [With pollution from traffic a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, we should be building a transport and planning system that makes car-free travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/with-pollution-from-traffic-a-major-source-of-greenhouse-gas/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [We must instil our future leaders with the expertise, knowledge and skills to prevent climate breakdown and restore nature to health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/we-must-instil-our-future-leaders-with-the-expertise-knowledge-and/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [Many are outspoken about the climate crisis, but conveniently ignore the fact that support for fossil fuels is not just incompatible with curbing emissions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/many-are-outspoken-about-the-climate-crisis-but-conveniently-ignore/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [The truth is that goodness is hardwired in humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/the-truth-is-that-goodness-is-hardwired-in-humanity/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [My constituents are my employers - if I let them down I should be accountable to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/my-constituents-are-my-employers-if-i-let-them-down-i-should-be/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [I did try being a vegan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/i-did-try-being-a-vegan/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [The billions being spent on Trident replacement would be much better spent on investing in developing the infrastructure we need for a zero-carbon economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/the-billions-being-spent-on-trident-replacement-would-be-much-better/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [Advanced industrialised economies like ourselves cannot afford to go on growing, particularly if we want to give people in poorer countries a chance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/advanced-industrialised-economies-like-ourselves-cannot-afford-to-go/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [Labour needs to end its support for expensive nuclear power and vanity projects like HS2, and take a firm stance against the ecologically impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/labour-needs-to-end-its-support-for-expensive-nuclear-power-and/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [When the democratic deficit is so enormous, people are left with very little option but to take peaceful, non-violent direct action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/when-the-democratic-deficit-is-so-enormous-people-are-left-with-very/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [The models that the other parties have used where you have a very powerful leader squashing any kind of independent ideas from the grass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/the-models-that-the-other-parties-have-used-where-you-have-a-very/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) [Explore all 103 Caroline Lucas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) ## More Contempt quotes > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Boasting and bravado may exist in the breast even of the coward, if he is successful through a mere lucky hit; but a just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/boasting-and-bravado-may-exist-in-the-breast-even-of-the-coward-if-he/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-the-evangelist/unless-a-man-gives-himself-entirely-to-the-cross-in-a-spirit-of/) [Mark the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-the-evangelist/) > [Much of the same sort of degraded and filthy talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/much-of-the-same-sort-of-degraded-and-filthy-talk-can-still-be-heard/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/contempt-for-an-assailant-is-best-shown-by-bravery-in-action/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Statuettes of drunken sailors, velvet pictures of island maidens, plastic seashell lamps made in Taiwan. What contempt the people who think up souvenirs have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-johnson/statuettes-of-drunken-sailors-velvet-pictures-of-island-maidens/) [Diane Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-johnson/) > [Every person of any rank in the left, from voter on up to cabinet member to elected official in the Democrat Party, has contempt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-person-of-any-rank-in-the-left-from-voter-on-up-to-cabinet/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Those with a gift for action, for their part, often express contempt for those whose gifts are more reflective. Men of action like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/those-with-a-gift-for-action-for-their-part-often-express-contempt/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“opprobrious term, employed to impose contempt upon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jabari-asim/opprobrious-term-employed-to-impose-contempt-upon/) [Jabari Asim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jabari-asim/) > [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) [Browse all 1,034 Contempt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the way it actually works, I think it is worthy of contempt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Caroline Lucas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but-when-you-see-the-way-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contempt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but-when-you-see-the-way-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/621/caroline-lucas-5080_contempt_we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but_2918449.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We pride ourselves on our democracy, but when you see the way it actually works, I think it is worthy of…” — Caroline Lucas", "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": "Caroline Lucas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We pride ourselves on our democracy,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but-when-you-see-the-way-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/we-pride-ourselves-on-our-democracy-but-when-you-see-the-way-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 } } ] } ```