--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In reality, there is no such thing as not…" description: "\"In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/david-foster-wallace-161_democracy_in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-not_67297.jpg" --- # In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you… ![“In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/david-foster-wallace-161_democracy_in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-not_67297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/david-foster-wallace-161_democracy_in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-not_67297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/david-foster-wallace-161_democracy_in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-not_67297.jpg) > “In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote.” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Voting is inevitable; abstention still influences outcomes by amplifying existing votes. **In simple terms:** Non‑participation still counts. Key Takeaway Every action shapes the result. Themes civic responsibility political agency collective impact vote paradox social influence Mood thoughtful critical ironic Type aphor political commentary When to use this quote - elections - referendums - community decisions - board meetings Key Concepts participation abstention vote weight democratic process Practical Applications - civic education - policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does staying home affect democratic legitimacy? - Can abstention be a strategic choice? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Diehard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diehard/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Not voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-voting/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Staying Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-home/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) ## Related quotes > [“There is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-is-no-such-thing-as-not-voting-you-either-vote-by-voting-or-you/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“If you are bored and disgusted by politics and don't bother to vote, you are in effect voting for the entrenched Establishments of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-are-bored-and-disgusted-by-politics-and-don-t-bother-to-vote/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [I cannot conceive of circumstances where Labour MPs are marshalled to go through the lobby to vote against us staying in the single market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-soubry/i-cannot-conceive-of-circumstances-where-labour-mps-are-marshalled-to/) [Anna Soubry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-soubry/) > [We know that the issues that matter most, to the most number of Americans at the end, when people end up voting, they vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-know-that-the-issues-that-matter-most-to-the-most-number-of/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [People tend to favor the underdog, like in the movies we favor the underdog, but when it comes to voting, we vote for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-n-gnarr/people-tend-to-favor-the-underdog-like-in-the-movies-we-favor-the/) [Jon Gnarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-n-gnarr/) > [With ranked choice voting, every vote matters more than ever before, and it matters to every single candidate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/with-ranked-choice-voting-every-vote-matters-more-than-ever-before/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Vote? 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I was impossible to knock down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-felt-more-solidly-composed-now-that-i-was-horizontal-i-was/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“We all have our little solipsistic delusions, ghastly intuitions of utter singularity: that we are the only one in the house who ever fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/we-all-have-our-little-solipsistic-delusions-ghastly-intuitions-of/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Footnote: 79) The anchor is gigantic and must weigh a hundred tons, and -- delightfully -- it really is anchor-shaped, i.e. the same shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/footnote-79-the-anchor-is-gigantic-and-must-weigh-a-hundred-tons-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The paradoxical intercourse of audience and celebrity. 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