--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And I don't see that popular measures…" description: "\"And I don't see that popular measures, self-abnegation and democracy have done anything for Man but push him further into the mud. Currently, popularit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/l-ron-hubbard-881_abnegation_and-i-don-t-see-that-popular-measures-se_3028745.jpg" --- # And I don't see that popular measures, self-abnegation and… ![“And I don't see that popular measures, self-abnegation and democracy have done anything for Man but push him further into the mud. Currently, popularity endorses degraded novels, self-abnegation has filled the Southeast Asian jungles with stone idols and corpses, and democracy has given us…” quote by L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/l-ron-hubbard-881_abnegation_and-i-don-t-see-that-popular-measures-se_3028745.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/l-ron-hubbard-881_abnegation_and-i-don-t-see-that-popular-measures-se_3028745.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/l-ron-hubbard-881_abnegation_and-i-don-t-see-that-popular-measures-se_3028745.jpg) > “And I don't see that popular measures, self-abnegation and democracy have done anything for Man but push him further into the mud. Currently, popularity endorses degraded novels, self-abnegation has filled the Southeast Asian jungles with stone idols and corpses, and democracy has given us inflation and income tax.” [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Popular trends like self‑denial and democracy often fail to uplift humanity, instead deepening societal decay. **In simple terms:** Popular measures can worsen problems. Key Takeaway Question the true impact of popular ideals. Themes critique society politics disillusionment Mood skeptical critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - cultural movements - education reforms - media narratives Key Concepts populism democracy self‑abnegation materialism Questions to Reflect On - Do these trends truly degrade society? - What alternatives could improve the collective good? A Different Perspective Not all popular ideas are harmful; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abnegation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abnegation/) [Abnegation Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abnegation-democracy-4937546/) [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Corpses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corpses/) [Corpses Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corpses-democracy-4937547/) [Democracies have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies-have/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-given-2405614/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Filled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filled/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Income tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-tax/) [Inflation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflation/) [Jungle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jungle/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mud/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Popular Measures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-measures-4937548/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [On the whole, with scandalous exceptions, Democracy has given the ordinary worker more dignity than he ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/on-the-whole-with-scandalous-exceptions-democracy-has-given-the/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [If democracy were to be given any meaning, if it were to go beyond the limits of capitalism and nationalism, this would not come,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-democracy-were-to-be-given-any-meaning-if-it-were-to-go-beyond-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Voting is completely important. People in America think democracy is a given. I think of it as an ecosystem, and what gets in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/voting-is-completely-important-people-in-america-think-democracy-is-a/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Yeah, well," I say, "I left Abnegation because I wasn't selfless enough, no matter how hard I tried to be." "That's not entirely true."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/yeah-well-i-say-i-left-abnegation-because-i-wasn-t-selfless-enough-no/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Power is violence, its promise, its deed. Power cares nothing for reason, nothing for justice, nothing for compassion. It is, in fact, the singular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/power-is-violence-its-promise-its-deed-power-cares-nothing-for-reason/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [She tips her chin up and looks at me with that Abnegation stubbornness I know so well. She may have left them, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/she-tips-her-chin-up-and-looks-at-me-with-that-abnegation/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I will be my undoing If I become my obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-will-be-my-undoing-if-i-become-my-obsession/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I also remember that my father was one of the people who voted to get the Dauntless out of the factionless sector of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-also-remember-that-my-father-was-one-of-the-people-who-voted-to-get/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Your Abnegation is showing,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/your-abnegation-is-showing/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I guess I grew suspicious of both. Power and knowledge," I say. "To the Abnegation, power should only be given to people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-guess-i-grew-suspicious-of-both-power-and-knowledge-i-say-to-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Dear David, I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen the way we planned it. I can’t do it. I know you’re just going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/dear-david-i-m-sorry-but-it-s-not-going-to-happen-the-way-we-planned/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [All women are brought up from the very earliest years in the belief that their ideal of character is the very opposite to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-women-are-brought-up-from-the-very-earliest-years-in-the-belief/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [There is in even the most selfish passion a large element of self-abnegation. It is startling to realize that what we call extreme self-seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-in-even-the-most-selfish-passion-a-large-element-of-self/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [We all have to lead our own life, and we only have the one life, and the only people who can live life not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/we-all-have-to-lead-our-own-life-and-we-only-have-the-one-life-and/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More by L. Ron Hubbard > [Oh yes! The one man in the world who never believes he's mad is the madman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/oh-yes-the-one-man-in-the-world-who-never-believes-he-s-mad-is-the/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [The African tribesman, with his complete contempt for truth and his emphasis on brutality and savagery for others but not for himself, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/the-african-tribesman-with-his-complete-contempt-for-truth-and-his/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/see-what-you-see-not-what-someone-tells-you-that-you-see/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Now it's of peculiar interest to an Arab country that there is a company and a certain set of bankers who also finance the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/now-it-s-of-peculiar-interest-to-an-arab-country-that-there-is-a/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [In all the broad Universe there is no other hope for Man than ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/in-all-the-broad-universe-there-is-no-other-hope-for-man-than/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Now, get this as a technical fact, not a hopeful idea. Every time we have investigated the background of a critic of Scientology, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/now-get-this-as-a-technical-fact-not-a-hopeful-idea-every-time-we/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [I know no man who has any monopoly upon the wisdom of this universe. It belongs to those who can use it to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/i-know-no-man-who-has-any-monopoly-upon-the-wisdom-of-this-universe/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [One's attitude toward life makes every possible difference in one's living. You know, you don't have to study a thousand ancient books to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/one-s-attitude-toward-life-makes-every-possible-difference-in-one-s/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [“Recently there came a period when I had little to do. This was novel in a life so crammed with busy years, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/recently-there-came-a-period-when-i-had-little-to-do-this-was-novel/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [God was feeling sardonic the day He created the Universe. So it's rather up to at least one man every few centuries to pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/god-was-feeling-sardonic-the-day-he-created-the-universe-so-it-s/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [The way out is the way through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/the-way-out-is-the-way-through/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/you-don-t-get-rich-writing-science-fiction-if-you-want-to-get-rich/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [One of the ways you learn about life is to associate with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/one-of-the-ways-you-learn-about-life-is-to-associate-with-people/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Dianetics is a milestone for man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his invention of the wheel and the arch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/dianetics-is-a-milestone-for-man-comparable-to-his-discovery-of-fire/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [You can remember times when you were a kid, when life looked too doggoned deliciously beautiful to be left alone. So you could feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/you-can-remember-times-when-you-were-a-kid-when-life-looked-too/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) [Explore all 342 L. Ron Hubbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) ## More Abnegation quotes > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [We all have to lead our own life, and we only have the one life, and the only people who can live life not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/we-all-have-to-lead-our-own-life-and-we-only-have-the-one-life-and/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) > [There is in even the most selfish passion a large element of self-abnegation. It is startling to realize that what we call extreme self-seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-in-even-the-most-selfish-passion-a-large-element-of-self/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [All women are brought up from the very earliest years in the belief that their ideal of character is the very opposite to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-women-are-brought-up-from-the-very-earliest-years-in-the-belief/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“Dear David, I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen the way we planned it. I can’t do it. I know you’re just going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/dear-david-i-m-sorry-but-it-s-not-going-to-happen-the-way-we-planned/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I guess I grew suspicious of both. Power and knowledge," I say. "To the Abnegation, power should only be given to people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-guess-i-grew-suspicious-of-both-power-and-knowledge-i-say-to-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Your Abnegation is showing,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/your-abnegation-is-showing/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I also remember that my father was one of the people who voted to get the Dauntless out of the factionless sector of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-also-remember-that-my-father-was-one-of-the-people-who-voted-to-get/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I will be my undoing If I become my obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-will-be-my-undoing-if-i-become-my-obsession/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [She tips her chin up and looks at me with that Abnegation stubbornness I know so well. She may have left them, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/she-tips-her-chin-up-and-looks-at-me-with-that-abnegation/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Power is violence, its promise, its deed. Power cares nothing for reason, nothing for justice, nothing for compassion. It is, in fact, the singular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/power-is-violence-its-promise-its-deed-power-cares-nothing-for-reason/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [Yeah, well," I say, "I left Abnegation because I wasn't selfless enough, no matter how hard I tried to be." "That's not entirely true."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/yeah-well-i-say-i-left-abnegation-because-i-wasn-t-selfless-enough-no/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I knew by the way he looked at her that he held her in a higher regard than he held even himself. No selfishness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-knew-by-the-way-he-looked-at-her-that-he-held-her-in-a-higher/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“no wonder you left." Yeah," i say, rolling my eyes. " It was just because of the food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/no-wonder-you-left-yeah-i-say-rolling-my-eyes-it-was-just-because-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Few people who are born into Abnegation choose to leave it. When they do, we remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/few-people-who-are-born-into-abnegation-choose-to-leave-it-when-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Browse all 82 Abnegation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abnegation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And I don't see that popular measures, self-abnegation and democracy have done anything for Man but push him further into the mud. Currently, popularity endorses degraded novels, self-abnegation has filled the Southeast Asian jungles with stone idols and corpses, and democracy has given us inflation and income tax.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "L. 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