--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be easy to descend into despair…" description: "\"It would be easy to descend into despair, not only about the state of journalism, but the future of American democracy. But giving up is not an option...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/laurie-garrett-33616_american-democracy_it-would-be-easy-to-descend-into-despair_1384366.jpg" --- # It would be easy to descend into despair, not only about… ![“It would be easy to descend into despair, not only about the state of journalism, but the future of American democracy. But giving up is not an option. There is too much at stake.” quote by Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/laurie-garrett-33616_american-democracy_it-would-be-easy-to-descend-into-despair_1384366.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/laurie-garrett-33616_american-democracy_it-would-be-easy-to-descend-into-despair_1384366.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/laurie-garrett-33616_american-democracy_it-would-be-easy-to-descend-into-despair_1384366.jpg) > “It would be easy to descend into despair, not only about the state of journalism, but the future of American democracy. But giving up is not an option. There is too much at stake.” [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair is tempting amid crises, but perseverance is essential because democracy’s stakes are high. **In simple terms:** Don’t give up despite bleak outlooks. Key Takeaway Persist and act for democratic health. Themes resilience democracy journalism Mood determined hopeful Type motivational political When to use this quote - political activism - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts civic duty media integrity Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to keep fighting for democracy? - How can journalists sustain hope in turbulent times? A Different Perspective Overcoming fatigue requires supportive networks and tangible successes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-democracy/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Giving up is not an option](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up-is-not-an-option/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Think of it: television producers joining with newspapers to tell stories. It's journalism of the future. Advertising will follow the crowd - the 'crowd'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kurtis/think-of-it-television-producers-joining-with-newspapers-to-tell/) [Bill Kurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kurtis/) > [I have noticed if I pull from fear or despair about the state of the world, I get tired, ineffective, afraid and sometimes mean-spirited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-have-noticed-if-i-pull-from-fear-or-despair-about-the-state-of-the/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When we are fighting for huge stakes - we're fighting for the future - future of the planet in terms of climate change. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/when-we-are-fighting-for-huge-stakes-we-re-fighting-for-the-future/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Living with faith and courage is something that life requires of each of us. Never, absolutely never, give up! Never give in no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-kuhlman/living-with-faith-and-courage-is-something-that-life-requires-of-each/) [Kathryn Kuhlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-kuhlman/) > [Capture a shadow, dance with the wind, stand in a rainbow, begin at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/capture-a-shadow-dance-with-the-wind-stand-in-a-rainbow-begin-at-the/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [Fighting teaches you a lot about yourself. When you fight you are in a situation where failure can happen. This chance of failure forges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-hudson/fighting-teaches-you-a-lot-about-yourself-when-you-fight-you-are-in-a/) Daniel Hudson > [If life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/if-life-knocks-you-down-try-to-land-on-your-back-because-if-you-can/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [Focused will is incredible. If you have a dream and you don’t give up no matter what obstacles come up, then life’s problems will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/focused-will-is-incredible-if-you-have-a-dream-and-you-don-t-give-up/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) > [All my life I've believed in myself. And I have never given up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-pride/all-my-life-i-ve-believed-in-myself-and-i-have-never-given-up/) Curtis Pride > [Dreams require down payments. Dreams are free, but the journey isn't. There is a price to pay. When you find your why you'll find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/dreams-require-down-payments-dreams-are-free-but-the-journey-isn-t/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Giving up is not an option if we want to prevent irreparable harm to our planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/giving-up-is-not-an-option-if-we-want-to-prevent-irreparable-harm-to/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Work hard. Don’t quit. Be appreciative, be thankful, be grateful, be respectful. Also, never whine, never complain. And always, for crying out loud, keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/work-hard-don-t-quit-be-appreciative-be-thankful-be-grateful-be/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [Giving up is not an option if you want to succeed. If you really want to be in business, and it's something you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellee-stewart/giving-up-is-not-an-option-if-you-want-to-succeed-if-you-really-want/) Kellee Stewart > [If your plan isn't working, adjust your plan. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-martin/if-your-plan-isn-t-working-adjust-your-plan-never-give-up/) Matt Martin > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi ## More by Laurie Garrett > [Ebola haunted Zaire because of corruption and political repression. The virus had no secret powers, nor was it unusually contagious. For centuries Ebola had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/ebola-haunted-zaire-because-of-corruption-and-political-repression/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [There is no governing structure for a pandemic, and little more than vague political pressure to ensure limited access to life-sparing tools and medicines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/there-is-no-governing-structure-for-a-pandemic-and-little-more-than/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [What public health really is is a trust. That's why I used the term 'Betrayal of Trust' as the title of my book. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/what-public-health-really-is-is-a-trust-that-s-why-i-used-the-term/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [Without equity, pandemic battles will fail. Viruses will simply recirculate, and perhaps undergo mutations or changes that render vaccines useless, passing through the unprotected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/without-equity-pandemic-battles-will-fail-viruses-will-simply/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [“Consider the difference in size between some of the very tiniest and the very largest creatures on Earth. A small bacterium weights as little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/consider-the-difference-in-size-between-some-of-the-very-tiniest-and/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [ \[W\]hat suffers in the atmosphere of immediacy is analysis. What suffers in this search for speed is depth. The media in the wealthy world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/w-hat-suffers-in-the-atmosphere-of-immediacy-is-analysis-what-suffers/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [All across America news organizations have been devoured by massive corporations, and allegiance to stockholders, the drive for higher share prices, and push for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/all-across-america-news-organizations-have-been-devoured-by-massive/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [Let's pretend there's a pandemic. Let's everybody run around and play your role. Main result is that there is tremendous confusion. ... Nobody knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/let-s-pretend-there-s-a-pandemic-let-s-everybody-run-around-and-play/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [All too many journalists seem to mistake scandal mongering for tenacious investigation, and far too many aspire to make themselves the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/all-too-many-journalists-seem-to-mistake-scandal-mongering-for/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [At no time in history have we succeeded in making, in a timely fashion, a specific vaccine for more than 260 million people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/at-no-time-in-history-have-we-succeeded-in-making-in-a-timely-fashion/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > ['Contagion' should serve as a wake-up call not only about the germs, but perhaps more importantly about the frailty of governance, nationally and worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/contagion-should-serve-as-a-wake-up-call-not-only-about-the-germs-but/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [In all, 86 per cent of the increased life expectancy was due to decreases in infectious diseases. And the bulk of the decline in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/in-all-86-per-cent-of-the-increased-life-expectancy-was-due-to/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) > [Most Americans think that public health is services for poor people, and since most Americans hate poor people and want all poor people's services…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-garrett/most-americans-think-that-public-health-is-services-for-poor-people/) [Laurie Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) [Explore all 14 Laurie Garrett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-garrett/) ## More American democracy quotes > [ Elvis \[Presley\] had a stepstool, if you will, to success because he came from the dominant culture. They identified with him. Michael Jackson had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/elvis-presley-had-a-stepstool-if-you-will-to-success-because-he-came/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [That's what separates out American democracy from dictators and horrible governments across the world and the reason why that works is that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-chamberlain/that-s-what-separates-out-american-democracy-from-dictators-and/) Charles R. Chamberlain > [This will be the day when we shall bring into full realization the dream of American democracy -- a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/this-will-be-the-day-when-we-shall-bring-into-full-realization-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [This has all the appearance of a foreign power trying to undermine structures of legitimacy of an American election. That is a serious matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/this-has-all-the-appearance-of-a-foreign-power-trying-to-undermine/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [Men like Abraham Lincoln recognized that if the slaveholders were not stopped, it would only be a question of time until they spread their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-cox-richardson/men-like-abraham-lincoln-recognized-that-if-the-slaveholders-were-not/) [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) > [These communities that are losing local news coverage are losing something deeper. They're losing a connection to American democracy. And those connections must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/these-communities-that-are-losing-local-news-coverage-are-losing/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [“Today you go into make a modern recording with all this technology. The bass plays first, then the drums come in later, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/today-you-go-into-make-a-modern-recording-with-all-this-technology/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [As a result of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, American democracy is being undermined by the ability of the Koch brothers and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-a-result-of-the-citizens-united-supreme-court-decision-american/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If everyone on the Court always voted for the prosecution against the defendant, for the corporation against the plaintiffs, and for the government against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/if-everyone-on-the-court-always-voted-for-the-prosecution-against-the/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Political violence has no place in Pennsylvania - the birthplace of American democracy - nor anywhere else across this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/political-violence-has-no-place-in-pennsylvania-the-birthplace-of/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [The atomic weapons race and the secrecy surrounding it crushed American democracy. It induced us to conduct government according to lies. It distorted justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/the-atomic-weapons-race-and-the-secrecy-surrounding-it-crushed/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [I have no doubt that there are Russian efforts to disturb the fabric of American democracy, but they're disruption efforts. They're troublemaking efforts. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-are-russian-efforts-to-disturb-the-fabric/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [“Still, it strikes me that, taken together, they do make an argument, and it is this: the rise of American democracy is bound up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-lepore/still-it-strikes-me-that-taken-together-they-do-make-an-argument-and/) [Jill Lepore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-lepore/) > [Mr Jefferson meant that the American system should be a democracy, and he would rather have let the whole world perish than that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/mr-jefferson-meant-that-the-american-system-should-be-a-democracy-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [I have no doubt that there are Russian efforts to disturb the fabric of American democracy, but they're disruption efforts. The working theory behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-are-russian-efforts-to-disturb-the-fabric-2/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Browse all 168 American democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It would be easy to descend into despair, not only about the state of journalism, but the future of American democracy. But giving up is not an option. 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