--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think some people have blind faith in…" description: "\"I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to Donald Trump and a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/masha-gessen-2322_blind_i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in_668988.png" --- # I think some people have blind faith in American… ![“I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to Donald Trump and are indestructible. I actually think democracy is not a definable and achievable state. Any country is either becoming more democratic or less…” quote by Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/masha-gessen-2322_blind_i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in_668988.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/masha-gessen-2322_blind_i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in_668988.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/masha-gessen-2322_blind_i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in_668988.png) > “I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to Donald Trump and are indestructible. I actually think democracy is not a definable and achievable state. Any country is either becoming more democratic or less democratic. I think the United States hasn't tended to its journey toward democracy in a long time. It's been becoming less democratic, and right now it's in danger of becoming drastically less democratic.” [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy is a dynamic process, not a fixed state; institutions can erode, and the US is trending toward less democratic norms. **In simple terms:** Democracy changes over time and can decline. Key Takeaway Monitor and protect democratic institutions. Themes politics democracy institutional decay citizen engagement Mood concerned analytical Type political critical When to use this quote - elections - civic education - policy reform - media literacy Key Concepts democratic backsliding institutional trust political polarization Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively hold institutions accountable? - What signs indicate democratic erosion? A Different Perspective Democracy's resilience depends on active participation, not passive belief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Blind faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-faith/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Definable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-definable-5315052/) [Democracy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-long-671941/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Drastically Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drastically-democratic-5315053/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Think Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-democracy-676531/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [So I think democracy, in the long-term, in our countries will survive if it comes to be associated with leadership, will not survive if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-monti/so-i-think-democracy-in-the-long-term-in-our-countries-will-survive/) [Mario Monti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-monti/) > [Any country is either becoming more democratic or less democratic. I think the United States hasn't tended to its journey toward democracy in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/any-country-is-either-becoming-more-democratic-or-less-democratic-i/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [There are a couple of ways to use the word democracy, and the way that I think is productive is to think about democracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-are-a-couple-of-ways-to-use-the-word-democracy-and-the-way-that/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in-american-institutions-without-2/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [You can't have a people's democracy as long as corporations are considered people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/you-can-t-have-a-people-s-democracy-as-long-as-corporations-are/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [democracy ... is not something that occurs overnight. It is not a gift delivered on a golden tray. Democracy is a long process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/democracy-is-not-something-that-occurs-overnight-it-is-not-a-gift/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [The dream of democracy has long been enshrined in the hearts of the Egyptian people. It only needed awakening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/the-dream-of-democracy-has-long-been-enshrined-in-the-hearts-of-the/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Without God, democracy cannot and will not long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/without-god-democracy-cannot-and-will-not-long-endure/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [While democracy in the long run is the most stable form of government, in the short run, it is among the most fragile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/while-democracy-in-the-long-run-is-the-most-stable-form-of-government/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/without-god-democracy-will-not-and-cannot-long-endure/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Russian scorn for liberal democracy has a long history, and a certain kind of Russian disdain for the West is nothing new. As far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/russian-scorn-for-liberal-democracy-has-a-long-history-and-a-certain/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [I will not take 'but' for an answer. Negroes have been looking at democracy's 'but' too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/i-will-not-take-but-for-an-answer-negroes-have-been-looking-at/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [Organized business has assumed that greater profits would be pretty much of a cure-all, and it has to a major extent ignored the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/organized-business-has-assumed-that-greater-profits-would-be-pretty/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [The fight for democracy is a long-term battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/the-fight-for-democracy-is-a-long-term-battle/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [No democracy has ever long survived the failure of its adherents to be ready to die for it. My own conviction is this, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lloyd-george/no-democracy-has-ever-long-survived-the-failure-of-its-adherents-to/) [David Lloyd George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lloyd-george/) ## More by Masha Gessen > [There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of the journalist with the view from nowhere - which has somehow morphed into the journalist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-s-this-american-pretense-which-is-the-pretense-of-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Where incompetence is prized, it is ever-present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/where-incompetence-is-prized-it-is-ever-present/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Trump, like Putin, has a demonstrably thin skin and short temper when it comes to being criticized by journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/trump-like-putin-has-a-demonstrably-thin-skin-and-short-temper-when/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [You risk everything if you so much as join a legal protest demonstration in Russia. It raises the stakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/you-risk-everything-if-you-so-much-as-join-a-legal-protest/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Donald Trump creates word salads. And that is awful to language, because we try to parse out what he's saying and try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/donald-trump-creates-word-salads-and-that-is-awful-to-language/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [It is the first time since 1993 that Russians have come out into the streets without an explicit permission from the government to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/it-is-the-first-time-since-1993-that-russians-have-come-out-into-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think Donald Trump was brought to power by Americans. They voted for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-donald-trump-was-brought-to-power-by-americans-they-voted-for/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [In the 1990s, there was a lot of reform, and there was a lot of forward movement on a lot of fronts in Russia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/in-the-1990s-there-was-a-lot-of-reform-and-there-was-a-lot-of-forward/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Poverty and scarcity are actually very good for totalitarian societies. They maintain that sense of mobilization that's essential for totalitarian societies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/poverty-and-scarcity-are-actually-very-good-for-totalitarian/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think that Putin's strategy has been throwing a lot of money, fairly haphazardly, at a lot of projects aimed at disrupting Western relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-putin-s-strategy-has-been-throwing-a-lot-of-money-fairly/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Both Trump and Putin use language primarily to communicate not facts or opinions but power: it's not what the words mean that matters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/both-trump-and-putin-use-language-primarily-to-communicate-not-facts/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I worked both as a Russian journalist and an American journalist and ran a bunch of magazines in Moscow over the course of about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-worked-both-as-a-russian-journalist-and-an-american-journalist-and/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [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/) > [For years I was the only publicly out gay person who was not a full-time gay activist: my position as a quasi-foreigner gave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/for-years-i-was-the-only-publicly-out-gay-person-who-was-not-a-full/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Explore all 171 Masha Gessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## More Blind quotes > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. 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Maybe I shall go blind again, for women are never two days alike in their minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/what-i-shall-feel-to-morrow-i-cannot-tell-maybe-i-shall-go-blind/) [Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/) > [Now the stage today is to know that Self Realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/now-the-stage-today-is-to-know-that-self-realization-gives-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“The heart’s blind. It’s the head that causes all the trouble. Sometimes both are stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/the-heart-s-blind-it-s-the-head-that-causes-all-the-trouble-sometimes/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [“In the story of the blind men and the elephant, what’s usually ignored is the fact that each man’s description was correct. What Faye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/in-the-story-of-the-blind-men-and-the-elephant-what-s-usually-ignored/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [My favorite performance would definitely be "Toxic," which was my blind audition song. It was the start of it all and it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/my-favorite-performance-would-definitely-be-toxic-which-was-my-blind/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [I'm glad I'm blind and can't see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/i-m-glad-i-m-blind-and-can-t-see-it/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [Shut your eyes and you will know what I mean by thought entombed in darkness. Light comes through the senses, and not only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/shut-your-eyes-and-you-will-know-what-i-mean-by-thought-entombed-in/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [Blind with love, my daughter has cried nightly for horses, those long-necked marchers and churners that she has mastered, any and all, reigning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/blind-with-love-my-daughter-has-cried-nightly-for-horses-those-long/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) [Browse all 3,877 Blind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to Donald Trump and are indestructible. I actually think democracy is not a definable and achievable state. 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