--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy means the opportunity to be…" description: "\"Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave.\" — Karl Kraus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png" --- # Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave. ![“Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave.” quote by Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png) > “Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave.” [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) ## 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 paradoxically become a system where the majority dominates, reducing individual freedom. **In simple terms:** Democracy may turn into majority tyranny. Key Takeaway Guard against majority rule becoming oppression. Themes politics freedom power Mood critical reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - elections - policy making - civil rights Key Concepts Democratic theory philosophy of liberty Questions to Reflect On - Is true freedom possible in a democracy? - How to protect minorities? A Different Perspective Majority rule can suppress minorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [The future has many names: For the weak, it means the unattainable. For the fearful, it means the unknown. For the courageous, it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-future-has-many-names-for-the-weak-it-means-the-unattainable-for/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [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/) > [Political struggle is the most important thing any of us can do as a citizen in a democracy; and that means the old joining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/political-struggle-is-the-most-important-thing-any-of-us-can-do-as-a/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Life means opportunity, and the thing men call death is the last wonderful, beautiful adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/life-means-opportunity-and-the-thing-men-call-death-is-the-last/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [“This means full opportunity to voice needs, negotiate agreements and advocate for building the kind of relationship you want. Because different people want different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-veaux/this-means-full-opportunity-to-voice-needs-negotiate-agreements-and/) [Franklin Veaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-veaux/) > [There's chaos out there and chaos means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/there-s-chaos-out-there-and-chaos-means-opportunity/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [“As an artist, motive means opportunity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siren-waroe/as-an-artist-motive-means-opportunity/) Siren Waroe > [When the economic orthodoxy can no longer deliver, political turbulence follows. That doesn't mean the left will win, but it means there is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-nunns/when-the-economic-orthodoxy-can-no-longer-deliver-political/) Alex Nunns > [I like to call the Department of Labor the Department of Opportunity, and that means opportunity for everyone - no matter whom you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-to-call-the-department-of-labor-the-department-of-opportunity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/freedom-means-the-opportunity-to-be-what-we-never-thought-we-would-be/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Lucky Means Who Get The Opportunity. Brilliant Means Who Create The Opportunity. Winner Means Who Use The Opportunity. So, Be A Winner Always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lucky-means-who-get-the-opportunity-brilliant-means-who-create-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Freedom in the Gospel does not mean license. It means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/freedom-in-the-gospel-does-not-mean-license-it-means-opportunity/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [If you FAIL, never give up because F.A.I.L. means "First Attempt in Learning". END is not the end; in fact E.N.D. means "Effort Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-kalam/if-you-fail-never-give-up-because-f-a-i-l-means-first-attempt-in/) [Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-kalam/) > [Because when you are something people don't know quite how to define, it means you get more of an opportunity to define yourself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/because-when-you-are-something-people-don-t-know-quite-how-to-define/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) ## More by Karl Kraus > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I don't like to meddle in my private affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-don-t-like-to-meddle-in-my-private-affairs/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [When a man is treated like a beast, he says, 'After all, I'm human.' When he behaves like a beast, he says 'After all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/when-a-man-is-treated-like-a-beast-he-says-after-all-i-m-human-when/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [They judge lest they be judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/they-judge-lest-they-be-judged/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I and my public understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don't say what it wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-and-my-public-understand-each-other-very-well-it-does-not-hear-what/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Satire that the censor understands is rightly censored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/satire-that-the-censor-understands-is-rightly-censored/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Hate must make a man productive. Otherwise one might as well love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/hate-must-make-a-man-productive-otherwise-one-might-as-well-love/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [One must read all writers twice--the good as well as the bad. The one kind will be recognized; the other, unmasked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/one-must-read-all-writers-twice-the-good-as-well-as-the-bad-the-one/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Children today laugh at fathers who tell them about dragons. It is necessary to make fear a required subject; otherwise children will never learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/children-today-laugh-at-fathers-who-tell-them-about-dragons-it-is/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The little stations are very proud because the expresses have to pass them by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-little-stations-are-very-proud-because-the-expresses-have-to-pass/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The unattractive thing about chauvinism is not so much the aversion to other nations as the love of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/the-unattractive-thing-about-chauvinism-is-not-so-much-the-aversion/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I have often been asked to be fair and view a matter from all sides. I did so, hoping that something might improve if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/i-have-often-been-asked-to-be-fair-and-view-a-matter-from-all-sides-i/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [In the theater one must sit in such a way that one sees the audience as a dark mass. Then it cannot bother one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/in-the-theater-one-must-sit-in-such-a-way-that-one-sees-the-audience/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Many desire to kill me, and many wish to spend an hour chatting with me. The law protects me from the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/many-desire-to-kill-me-and-many-wish-to-spend-an-hour-chatting-with/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) [Explore all 275 Karl Kraus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) ## 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": "Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Kraus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-everyone-s-slave/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-everyone-s-slave/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/karl-kraus-1128_democracy_democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-ev_1215199.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democracy means the opportunity to be everyone's slave.” — Karl Kraus", "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": "Karl Kraus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democracy means the opportunity to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-everyone-s-slave/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/democracy-means-the-opportunity-to-be-everyone-s-slave/#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 } } ] } ```