--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nearly all legislation involves a…" description: "\"Nearly all legislation involves a weighing of public needs as against private desires; and likewise a weighing of relative social values.\" — Louis D. B..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eeb/louis-d-brandeis-5049_desire_nearly-all-legislation-involves-a-weighi_804700.png" --- # Nearly all legislation involves a weighing of public needs… ![“Nearly all legislation involves a weighing of public needs as against private desires; and likewise a weighing of relative social values.” quote by Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eeb/louis-d-brandeis-5049_desire_nearly-all-legislation-involves-a-weighi_804700.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eeb/louis-d-brandeis-5049_desire_nearly-all-legislation-involves-a-weighi_804700.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eeb/louis-d-brandeis-5049_desire_nearly-all-legislation-involves-a-weighi_804700.png) > “Nearly all legislation involves a weighing of public needs as against private desires; and likewise a weighing of relative social values.” [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing societal needs with individual desires is essential in lawmaking, weighing collective welfare against personal interests. **In simple terms:** Law must balance public good and private wishes. Key Takeaway Consider both community impact and personal rights. Themes law ethics public policy individual rights Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislative drafting - community planning - conflict resolution - policy analysis Key Concepts social contract utilitarianism rights theory Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure minority voices are heard? - What criteria should prioritize public vs private interests? A Different Perspective May overlook minority needs when focusing on majority preferences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-values/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [The regulation of these various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation and involves the spirit of party and faction in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-regulation-of-these-various-and-interfering-interests-forms-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Nearly all legislation is the result of compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gurney-cannon/nearly-all-legislation-is-the-result-of-compromise/) Joseph Gurney Cannon > [Though our private desires are ever so confused, though our private requests are ever so broken, and though our private groanings are ever so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/though-our-private-desires-are-ever-so-confused-though-our-private/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [To become informed and hold government accountable, the general public needs to obtain news that is comprehensive yet interesting and understandable, that conveys facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/to-become-informed-and-hold-government-accountable-the-general-public/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [If the general public demanded better, they'd get better, because the market­place responds to the public's needs and desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/if-the-general-public-demanded-better-they-d-get-better-because-the/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [The public needs the equivalent of Chevrolets as well as Cadillacs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/the-public-needs-the-equivalent-of-chevrolets-as-well-as-cadillacs/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [The public needs art - and it is the responsibility of a 'self-proclaimed artist' to realize that the public needs art, and not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-haring/the-public-needs-art-and-it-is-the-responsibility-of-a-self-2/) [Keith Haring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-haring/) > [There is no public out there who needs to change. It's each one of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jordan/there-is-no-public-out-there-who-needs-to-change-it-s-each-one-of-us/) [Chris Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jordan/) > [The American public needs to be alerted to the value of the space program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-swigert/the-american-public-needs-to-be-alerted-to-the-value-of-the-space/) [Jack Swigert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-swigert/) > [The public needs to know that any Government has a sense of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/the-public-needs-to-know-that-any-government-has-a-sense-of-purpose/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Donald Trump has done more for getting people to understand the importance of public policy that respond to public needs in an affirmative way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/donald-trump-has-done-more-for-getting-people-to-understand-the/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [We deem valuable whatever is likely to meet our needs or wishes (individual values) and whatever is likely to help protect or attain social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-bunge/we-deem-valuable-whatever-is-likely-to-meet-our-needs-or-wishes/) [Mario Bunge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-bunge/) > [By now, the corporations that dominate our media, like alcoholic fat cats, treat this situation as theirs by right... Their concept of a diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bagdikian/by-now-the-corporations-that-dominate-our-media-like-alcoholic-fat/) [Ben Bagdikian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bagdikian/) > [Interest in business ethics courses has surged, and student activities at leading business schools are more focused than ever before on making business serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/interest-in-business-ethics-courses-has-surged-and-student-activities/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Money is a response. We use it to express our social values, our gratitude, our appreciation, our pleasure, our support. Money gives us the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalie-maggio/money-is-a-response-we-use-it-to-express-our-social-values-our/) [Rosalie Maggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalie-maggio/) ## More by Louis D. Brandeis > [Men feared witches and burned women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/men-feared-witches-and-burned-women/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [The goose that lays golden eggs has been considered a most valuable possession. But even more profitable is the privilege of taking the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-goose-that-lays-golden-eggs-has-been-considered-a-most-valuable/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/fear-of-serious-injury-cannot-alone-justify-suppression-of-free/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [We gain nothing by trading the tyranny of capital for the tyranny of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/we-gain-nothing-by-trading-the-tyranny-of-capital-for-the-tyranny-of/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-should-teach-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill it teaches the whole people by example. Crime is contagious. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/our-government-is-the-potent-the-omnipresent-teacher-for-good-or-for/) [Louis D. 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