--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Each one of us must in the end choose for…" description: "\"Each one of us must in the end choose for himself how far he would like to leave our collective fate to the wayward vagaries of popular assemblies For ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/learned-hand-5343_affair_each-one-of-us-must-in-the-end-choose-fo_446988.jpg" --- # Each one of us must in the end choose for himself how far… ![“Each one of us must in the end choose for himself how far he would like to leave our collective fate to the wayward vagaries of popular assemblies For myself it would be most irksome to be ruled by a bevy of Platonic Guardians, even if I knew how to choose them, which I assuredly do not I should…” quote by Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/learned-hand-5343_affair_each-one-of-us-must-in-the-end-choose-fo_446988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/learned-hand-5343_affair_each-one-of-us-must-in-the-end-choose-fo_446988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/learned-hand-5343_affair_each-one-of-us-must-in-the-end-choose-fo_446988.jpg) > “Each one of us must in the end choose for himself how far he would like to leave our collective fate to the wayward vagaries of popular assemblies For myself it would be most irksome to be ruled by a bevy of Platonic Guardians, even if I knew how to choose them, which I assuredly do not I should miss the stimulus of living in a society where I have, at least theoretically, some part in the direction of public affairs.” [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing personal involvement in governance matters; reliance on unpredictable popular assemblies can feel disempowering, while elite rule may lack personal stimulus. **In simple terms:** Participate in public affairs or risk losing agency. Key Takeaway Engage in civic life. Themes democracy participation individual agency political philosophy Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical political reflective When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - public comment periods - local council meetings Key Concepts social contract civic responsibility elite vs mass governance Questions to Reflect On - How much influence do you realistically have in current politics? - What balance between expertise and popular voice feels right? A Different Perspective Elite rule may not reflect personal values; popular assemblies can be chaotic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Guardian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guardian/) [Platonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platonic/) [Public affairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-affairs/) ## Related quotes > [For myself it would be most irksome to be ruled by a bevy of Platonic Guardians, even if I knew how to choose them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/for-myself-it-would-be-most-irksome-to-be-ruled-by-a-bevy-of-platonic/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [“In the end… he would choose Campisi. In the end… she would choose Abandonato. 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I do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/in-the-end-you-have-to-choose-whether-or-not-to-trust-someone-and-i/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [“I love you,” he whispered. “From now until the end, under any name you choose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/i-love-you-he-whispered-from-now-until-the-end-under-any-name-you-2/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how to let it go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/in-the-end-you-can-t-always-choose-what-to-keep-you-can-only-choose-2/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition, and every situation that no longer serves a divine purpose in your life. 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While it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/it-lies-in-the-hearts-of-men-and-women-when-it-dies-there-no/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [A self-made man may prefer a self-made name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/a-self-made-man-may-prefer-a-self-made-name/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [No doubt one may quote history to support any cause, as the devil quotes scripture; but modern history is not a very satisfactory side-arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/no-doubt-one-may-quote-history-to-support-any-cause-as-the-devil/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [We lose the forest for the trees, forgetting, even so far as we think at all, that we are trustees for those who come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/we-lose-the-forest-for-the-trees-forgetting-even-so-far-as-we-think/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) [Explore all 101 Learned Hand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) ## More Affair quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. 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