---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't have five wolves and one sheep…"
description: "\"You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.\" — Larry Flynt"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg"
---

#  You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to…

![“You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.” quote by Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg)

> “You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.”

[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.

A group with vastly unequal power cannot fairly decide a shared outcome.

**In simple terms:** Unequal power prevents fair voting.

Key Takeaway

Ensure balanced representation.

Themes

fairness power dynamics decision making

Mood

critical serious

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- committees
- community decisions
- board meetings
- policy voting

Key Concepts

political theory ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can minority voices be protected?
- What mechanisms ensure equitable influence?

A Different Perspective

Power imbalances can still dominate outcomes despite formal voting.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appease/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Individual rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-rights/) [Inspirational voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-voting-92591/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Majority rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-rule/) [Majority vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-vote/) [Misused words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misused-words/) [Niece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/niece/) [Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep/) [Sheep Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheep-voting-1451282/) [Supper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supper/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) [Voting and democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting-and-democracy/) [Voting day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting-day/) [Voting Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting-dinner-1451281/) [Wolves Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wolves-sheep-1173889/)

## Related quotes

> [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 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/)

> [Democracy is four wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/democracy-is-four-wolves-and-a-lamb-voting-on-what-to-have-for-lunch/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/majority-rule-only-works-if-you-re-also-considering-individual-rights/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [The two most misused words in the entire English vocabulary are love and friendship. A true friend would die for you, so when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-two-most-misused-words-in-the-entire-english-vocabulary-are-love/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [Don't buy a single vote more than necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/don-t-buy-a-single-vote-more-than-necessary/)

[Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/)

> [“Without someone to hunt the wolves, the sheep would never be safe. The wolves were multiplying too quickly. The sheepdogs were being overrun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/without-someone-to-hunt-the-wolves-the-sheep-would-never-be-safe-the/)

[Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/)

> [Fake friends are like Wolves in Sheep Clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fake-friends-are-like-wolves-in-sheep-clothing/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Courts love the people always, as wolves do the sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/courts-love-the-people-always-as-wolves-do-the-sheep/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Tom Walls and his cohort are wolves in sheep's clothing who will besmirch the memory of some genuine historic figures by the next full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionne-warwick/tom-walls-and-his-cohort-are-wolves-in-sheep-s-clothing-who-will/)

[Dionne Warwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionne-warwick/)

> [“A company of wolves, is better than a company of wolves in sheep's clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/a-company-of-wolves-is-better-than-a-company-of-wolves-in-sheep-s/)

[Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/)

> [“Some people are not meant to live together, for they will destroy one another and annihilate themselves. Wolves and sheep cannot be put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/some-people-are-not-meant-to-live-together-for-they-will-destroy-one/)

[Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/)

> [“Wolves in sheep's clothing aren't always detectable, but there are signs when you walk in light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/wolves-in-sheep-s-clothing-aren-t-always-detectable-but-there-are/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [There are wolves within, and there are sheep without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-wolves-within-and-there-are-sheep-without/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Dogs are just wolves in sheep's clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-coren/dogs-are-just-wolves-in-sheep-s-clothing/)

[Stanley Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-coren/)

## More by Larry Flynt

> [Hypocrisy is a detriment to progress. 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. Whenever a case is tried, it will be based on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/in-1973-the-supreme-court-ruled-that-individual-communities-should/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [I will concede to you one thing - 'Hustler' is offensive, even to the point of being iconoclastic. That's our purpose - to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/i-will-concede-to-you-one-thing-hustler-is-offensive-even-to-the/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [Once I began following my own instincts, sales took off and I became a millionaire. And that, I think, is a key secret to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/once-i-began-following-my-own-instincts-sales-took-off-and-i-became-a/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [There's nothing more political than sex. The church has had its hand on our crotch for more than 2,000 years, and the government is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/there-s-nothing-more-political-than-sex-the-church-has-had-its-hand/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [You will encounter many distractions and many temptations to put your goal aside: The security of a job, a wife who wants kids, whatever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-will-encounter-many-distractions-and-many-temptations-to-put-your/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [You know, everybody believes in free speech until you start questioning them about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-know-everybody-believes-in-free-speech-until-you-start/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [The right-wing of the Republican party isn't so much a political agenda as a plea for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-right-wing-of-the-republican-party-isn-t-so-much-a-political/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [The sole motivating factor behind the death penalty is vengeance, not justice, and I firmly believe that a government that forbids killing among its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/the-sole-motivating-factor-behind-the-death-penalty-is-vengeance-not/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [Just because I publish pornography does not mean that I am not concerned about the social ills that all of us are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/just-because-i-publish-pornography-does-not-mean-that-i-am-not/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/my-mother-always-told-me-that-no-matter-how-much-you-dislike-a-person/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

> [If the human body's obscene, complain to the manufacturer, not me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/if-the-human-body-s-obscene-complain-to-the-manufacturer-not-me/)

[Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

[Explore all 45 Larry Flynt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/)

## More Appease quotes

> [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/)

[Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/)

> [Tis not for us to warn a wilful sinner; We stay him not, but let him run his course, Till by misfortunes rous'd, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/tis-not-for-us-to-warn-a-wilful-sinner-we-stay-him-not-but-let-him/)

[Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/)

> [Laws which prescribe what everyone must believe, and forbid men to say or write anything against this or that opinion, are often passed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/laws-which-prescribe-what-everyone-must-believe-and-forbid-men-to-say/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [Young people today seem to be coming around to the idea it really doesn’t matter which politician or political party you vote for; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/young-people-today-seem-to-be-coming-around-to-the-idea-it-really/)

[James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/)

> [Now have two generations whose minds have been totally perverted, polluted, and destroyed by the American public education system, and, in particular, the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/now-have-two-generations-whose-minds-have-been-totally-perverted/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [If the impure and the unjust, the drunkard and the licentious, are loathsome to us, what must be the infinite loathing of an infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/if-the-impure-and-the-unjust-the-drunkard-and-the-licentious-are/)

[Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/)

> [When we want to help the poor, we usually offer them charity. Most often we use charity to avoid recognizing the problem and finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/when-we-want-to-help-the-poor-we-usually-offer-them-charity-most/)

[Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/)

> [You're always looking for somebody to love you, be accepted, and there's the insecurities that are even transmitted through rap. Everyone is trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/you-re-always-looking-for-somebody-to-love-you-be-accepted-and-there/)

[Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/)

> [There are some who, for varying reasons, would appease Red China. They are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/there-are-some-who-for-varying-reasons-would-appease-red-china-they/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [When you're composing for somebody, that means you have a boss. You have to do what it takes to, at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/when-you-re-composing-for-somebody-that-means-you-have-a-boss-you/)

[Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/)

> [This is my chance to get out there and appease the fans of my music as well as show people that I do do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/this-is-my-chance-to-get-out-there-and-appease-the-fans-of-my-music/)

[Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/)

> [The influence of fine scenery, the presence of mountains, appeases our irritations and elevates our friendships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-influence-of-fine-scenery-the-presence-of-mountains-appeases-our/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [You can't be around people who appease you all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-heath/you-can-t-be-around-people-who-appease-you-all-the-time/)

[Phil Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-heath/)

> [Successful ... politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle or otherwise manage to manipulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/successful-politicians-are-insecure-and-intimidated-men-they-advance/)

[Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/)

> [The Jehovah of the Jews is a suspicious tyrant, who breathes nothing but blood, murder, and carnage, and who demands that they should nourish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/the-jehovah-of-the-jews-is-a-suspicious-tyrant-who-breathes-nothing/)

[Baron d'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/)

[Browse all 94 Appease quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appease/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Larry Flynt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep-voting-on-what-to-have-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appease"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep-voting-on-what-to-have-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/138/larry-flynt-14805_appease_you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep_1798165.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for dinner.” — Larry Flynt",
                "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": "Larry Flynt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You can't have five wolves and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep-voting-on-what-to-have-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/you-can-t-have-five-wolves-and-one-sheep-voting-on-what-to-have-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
