--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best example of democracy I can…" description: "\"The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves sitting down to dinner with one sheep.\" — Charles De Montesquieu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg" --- # The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves… ![“The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves sitting down to dinner with one sheep.” quote by Charles De Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg) > “The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves sitting down to dinner with one sheep.” [Charles De Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy can be absurd when the powerful dominate the weak. **In simple terms:** Democracy can be absurd. Key Takeaway Guard against power imbalance. Themes politics justice power Mood critical reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy making - activism - community organizing Key Concepts social contract inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can minorities be heard? - What safeguards protect the weak? A Different Perspective Ideal democracy requires active participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dinner Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-sheep-3640906/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Example Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example-democracy-2500933/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Recall Wolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recall-wolves-3640908/) [Wolves Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wolves-sitting-3640907/) ## Related quotes > [If you consider, for example, that democracy is much like a religion then 9/11 is akin to finding the body of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larisa-alexandrovna/if-you-consider-for-example-that-democracy-is-much-like-a-religion/) [Larisa Alexandrovna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larisa-alexandrovna/) > [The Orange Revolution was a powerful example of democracy around the world. The people of Ukraine are continuing to shape their own future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/the-orange-revolution-was-a-powerful-example-of-democracy-around-the/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [I had the best example set by my parents for what a couple can - and, in my opinion, should - be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-had-the-best-example-set-by-my-parents-for-what-a-couple-can-and-in/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I'm not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example every single day with how I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-m-not-the-most-vocal-guy-but-i-try-to-lead-by-example-every-single/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [You can have examples of reasons to hate people, but if you analyze those reasons it's like, Oh, I'm hating that person based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/you-can-have-examples-of-reasons-to-hate-people-but-if-you-analyze/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) ## More by Charles De Montesquieu > [Happiness is right around the corner. One day you will find someone who will treat you like the angel you are. He will love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/happiness-is-right-around-the-corner-one-day-you-will-find-someone/) [Charles De Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) > [“If only we wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is difficult, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/if-only-we-wanted-to-be-happy-it-would-be-easy-but-we-want-to-be/) [Charles de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) > [We should weep for men at their birth, not at their death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/we-should-weep-for-men-at-their-birth-not-at-their-death/) [Charles de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) > [An author is a fool who, not content with having bored those who have lived with him, insists on boring future generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/an-author-is-a-fool-who-not-content-with-having-bored-those-who-have/) [Charles De Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) > [Useless laws weaken necessary laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/useless-laws-weaken-necessary-laws/) [Charles De Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) [Explore all 6 Charles De Montesquieu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [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/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves sitting down to dinner with one sheep.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles De Montesquieu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-recall-is-five-wolves-sitting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-recall-is-five-wolves-sitting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d07/charles-de-montesquieu-56449_democracy_the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-reca_2828540.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The best example of democracy I can recall is five wolves sitting down to dinner with one sheep.” — Charles De Montesquieu", "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": "Charles De Montesquieu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-montesquieu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The best example of democracy I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-recall-is-five-wolves-sitting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-montesquieu/the-best-example-of-democracy-i-can-recall-is-five-wolves-sitting/#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 } } ] } ```