--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The village that voted the earth was flat…" description: "\"“The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless modified its own behavior and its system of physics accordingly, but its vote did not in any way m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg" --- # The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless… ![“The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless modified its own behavior and its system of physics accordingly, but its vote did not in any way modify the shape of the earth. That remains what it is, whether human beings agree or disagree about it, or even if they never discuss it or take…” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg) > ““The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless modified its own behavior and its system of physics accordingly, but its vote did not in any way modify the shape of the earth. That remains what it is, whether human beings agree or disagree about it, or even if they never discuss it or take notice of it at all. And if the earth's shape entails consequences for humanity, those consequences will continue to occur, whether humanity likes it or not, in conformity with the laws of nature.”” [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A democratic vote cannot change physical reality; facts remain constant regardless of belief or consensus. **In simple terms:** Votes don’t alter facts. Key Takeaway Respect evidence over opinion. Themes science democracy truth perception Mood analytical educational Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - policy making - education - public discourse - media reporting Key Concepts epistemology political philosophy physics Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle facts that contradict popular opinion? - What role should democracy play in scientific matters? A Different Perspective People may resist facts that challenge beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [There was a time when everyone thought that Earth was flat. Did this unanimous consensus make any difference to the shape of Earth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/there-was-a-time-when-everyone-thought-that-earth-was-flat-did-this/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [We have at most ten years - not ten years to decide upon action, but ten years to alter fundamentally the trajectory of global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hansen/we-have-at-most-ten-years-not-ten-years-to-decide-upon-action-but-ten-2/) [James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/) > [I saw for the first time the earth's shape. I could easily see the shores of continents, islands, great rivers, folds of the terrain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-gagarin/i-saw-for-the-first-time-the-earth-s-shape-i-could-easily-see-the/) [Yuri Gagarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-gagarin/) > [Those who would take over the earth and shape it to their will, never, I notice succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/those-who-would-take-over-the-earth-and-shape-it-to-their-will-never/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“Would wheel square in shape if earth's box in shape?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/would-wheel-square-in-shape-if-earth-s-box-in-shape/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [think we're still stuck in that agricultural mindset, where we imagine that we can shape the Earth. Sure, we can do that. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/think-we-re-still-stuck-in-that-agricultural-mindset-where-we-imagine/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [“If you think about it, everyone is behind someone and in front of someone. The nature of the sphere, right? No one gets left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-olin-unferth/if-you-think-about-it-everyone-is-behind-someone-and-in-front-of/) [Deb Olin Unferth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-olin-unferth/) > [ The ancients had little doubt about the true shape of the earth: "It's \[the world's\] shape has the rounded appearance of a perfect sphere.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/the-ancients-had-little-doubt-about-the-true-shape-of-the-earth-it-s/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [“Once the solar parallax is known,' they told me, 'once the necessary Degrees are measur'd, and the size and weight and shape of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/once-the-solar-parallax-is-known-they-told-me-once-the-necessary/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [The great obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-great-obstacle-to-discovering-the-shape-of-the-earth-the/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [If every day of your life you are told by authority figures that the Earth is flat, you will be scared of falling off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/if-every-day-of-your-life-you-are-told-by-authority-figures-that-the/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [“If Algeria introduced a resolution that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/if-algeria-introduced-a-resolution-that-the-earth-was-flat-and-that/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [“Citing the WHI for Hormone Replacement Therapy standards equates with attending the Flat Earth Society Conference and listening to people try to prove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-hoag-mba/citing-the-whi-for-hormone-replacement-therapy-standards-equates-with/) [Marie Hoag MBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-hoag-mba/) > [“Whether or not huge numbers of people believe something has no bearing whatsoever on its truth or validity. In the past, millions believed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-becker/whether-or-not-huge-numbers-of-people-believe-something-has-no/) James Becker > [The church say the earth is flat,but I know that it is round ,for I have seen the shadow on the moon,and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-church-say-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-know-that-it-is-round-for-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dorothy L. Sayers > [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/by-teaching-them-all-to-read-we-have-left-them-at-the-mercy-of-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I have never yet heard any middle-aged man or woman who worked with his or her brains express any regret for the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-have-never-yet-heard-any-middle-aged-man-or-woman-who-worked-with/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“That was the second time within five minutes that he had warned her off his private ground. His mood had changed since the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/that-was-the-second-time-within-five-minutes-that-he-had-warned-her/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“To obey orders in this family has been my privilege for the last twenty years--a privilege which has been an unqualified pleasure, except perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/to-obey-orders-in-this-family-has-been-my-privilege-for-the-last/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Those who make some other person their job... are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/those-who-make-some-other-person-their-job-are-dangerous/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More Nature quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“When the water covers the earth the sun will vanish the darkess and the cold will come.When the last dragon and the last Elf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvana-de-mari/when-the-water-covers-the-earth-the-sun-will-vanish-the-darkess-and/) [Silvana de Mari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvana-de-mari/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) [Browse all 47,383 Nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless modified its own behavior and its system of physics accordingly, but its vote did not in any way modify the shape of the earth. That remains what it is, whether human beings agree or disagree about it, or even if they never discuss it or take notice of it at all. And if the earth's shape entails consequences for humanity, those consequences will continue to occur, whether humanity likes it or not, in conformity with the laws of nature.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy L. Sayers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-flat-doubtless-modified-its-own/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Nature" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-flat-doubtless-modified-its-own/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/dorothy-l-sayers-738_nature_the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-fla_3143909.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The village that voted the earth was flat doubtless modified its own behavior and its system of physics…” — Dorothy L. Sayers", "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": "Dorothy L. Sayers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The village that voted the earth...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-flat-doubtless-modified-its-own/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-village-that-voted-the-earth-was-flat-doubtless-modified-its-own/#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 } } ] } ```