--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Majority rule only works if you're also…" description: "\"Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/larry-flynt-14805_government_majority-rule-only-works-if-you-re-also_2680912.jpg" --- # Majority rule only works if you're also considering… ![“Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper.” quote by Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/larry-flynt-14805_government_majority-rule-only-works-if-you-re-also_2680912.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/larry-flynt-14805_government_majority-rule-only-works-if-you-re-also_2680912.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76f/larry-flynt-14805_government_majority-rule-only-works-if-you-re-also_2680912.jpg) > “Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper.” [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that majority rule must protect individual rights, using a metaphor of wolves and a sheep to illustrate the danger of tyranny of the majority. **In simple terms:** Majority must respect minorities. Key Takeaway Balance collective decisions with personal freedoms. Themes democracy rights majority minority ethics Mood critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislative voting - community governance - court rulings - policy debates Key Concepts social contract political theory civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards protect minorities? - How do we ensure fair representation? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex political structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Individual rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-rights/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Majority rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-rule/) [Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep/) [Sheep Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep-voting-1451282/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) [Voting Supper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting-supper-2579983/) ## Related quotes > [You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep-voting-on-what-to-have-for/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [Democracy is four wolves and a sheep voting on dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/democracy-is-four-wolves-and-a-sheep-voting-on-dinner/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I support the right of the individual, the right of the most individuals to get what they want. That is all majority rule is:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-peate/i-support-the-right-of-the-individual-the-right-of-the-most/) [Robert Peate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-peate/) > [Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/democracies-have-been-found-incompatible-with-personal-security-or/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/democracy-must-be-something-more-than-two-wolves-and-a-sheep-voting/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [Democracy is premised, in some measure, on majority rule, and democracy is difficult in a situation of concentrated inequalities in which a large, impoverished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/democracy-is-premised-in-some-measure-on-majority-rule-and-democracy/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [In a racially divided society, majority rule is not a reliable instrument of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lani-guinier/in-a-racially-divided-society-majority-rule-is-not-a-reliable/) [Lani Guinier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lani-guinier/) > [Good, law-abiding, value-oriented citizens are the ultimate in hypocrisy; "majority rules" and the law are exactly the same as being the biggest bully on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-murray/good-law-abiding-value-oriented-citizens-are-the-ultimate-in/) [William J. Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-murray/) > [Though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/though-the-will-of-the-majority-is-in-all-cases-to-prevail-that-will/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Can you imagine anything so ridiculous as majority rule?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daffy-duck/can-you-imagine-anything-so-ridiculous-as-majority-rule/) [Daffy Duck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daffy-duck/) > ["All government in essence," says Emerson, "is tyranny." It matters not whether it is government by divine right or majority rule. In every instance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/all-government-in-essence-says-emerson-is-tyranny-it-matters-not/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Imagine if all of life were determined by majority rule. Every meal would be a pizza. Every pair of pants, even those in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/imagine-if-all-of-life-were-determined-by-majority-rule-every-meal/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ The young \[Nazi\] movement is in its nature and inner organization anti-parliamentarian; that is, it rejects... a principle of majority rule in which the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-young-nazi-movement-is-in-its-nature-and-inner-organization-anti/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The justification of majority rule in politics is not to be found in its ethical superiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/the-justification-of-majority-rule-in-politics-is-not-to-be-found-in/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. 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There's always a hidden agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/hypocrisy-is-a-detriment-to-progress-there-s-always-a-hidden-agenda/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [These days... it's all vanilla sex for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/these-days-it-s-all-vanilla-sex-for-me/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [Well, one thing, you got to stand in a courtroom and listen to a judge sentencing you to 25 years in prison before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/well-one-thing-you-got-to-stand-in-a-courtroom-and-listen-to-a-judge/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [You have to be able to tolerate what you don't necessarily like so you can be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-have-to-be-able-to-tolerate-what-you-don-t-necessarily-like-so/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled that individual communities should set obscenity standards. 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