--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy, though slowly attained and…" description: "\"Democracy, though slowly attained and never by revolutionary jumps, is the best government on earth when it tries to make all its citizens aristocrats...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f79/peter-viereck-72477_aristocrats_democracy-though-slowly-attained-and-nev_2757327.png" --- # Democracy, though slowly attained and never by… ![“Democracy, though slowly attained and never by revolutionary jumps, is the best government on earth when it tries to make all its citizens aristocrats. But not when it guillontines whoever is individual, superior, or just different.” quote by Peter Viereck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f79/peter-viereck-72477_aristocrats_democracy-though-slowly-attained-and-nev_2757327.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f79/peter-viereck-72477_aristocrats_democracy-though-slowly-attained-and-nev_2757327.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f79/peter-viereck-72477_aristocrats_democracy-though-slowly-attained-and-nev_2757327.png) > “Democracy, though slowly attained and never by revolutionary jumps, is the best government on earth when it tries to make all its citizens aristocrats. But not when it guillontines whoever is individual, superior, or just different.” [Peter Viereck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-viereck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy aims to empower all citizens as intellectual equals, but it fails when it suppresses individuality or superior ideas through coercion. **In simple terms:** Democracy seeks equal intellectual participation, not suppression. Key Takeaway Protect individual thought within democratic systems. Themes politics freedom equality individuality governance Mood critical optimistic Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislative debates - educational reform - civil rights movements Key Concepts liberalism elitism Questions to Reflect On - How can democracy nurture excellence without oppression? - What safeguards protect dissenting voices? A Different Perspective Balancing equality and merit can be contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aristocrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocrats/) [Best Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-government-445624/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Citizens Aristocrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-aristocrats-3145130/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-slowly-3145129/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Superiors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiors/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [I think that the best that government can do for you and I as individuals is to empower you and I to make decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-think-that-the-best-that-government-can-do-for-you-and-i-as/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [It is certain, I think, that the best government is the one that governs the least. But there is a much-neglected corollary: the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-is-certain-i-think-that-the-best-government-is-the-one-that/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I loved the old government in 1861. I loved the old Constitution yet. I think it is the best government in the world, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-bedford-forrest/i-loved-the-old-government-in-1861-i-loved-the-old-constitution-yet-i/) [Nathan Bedford Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-bedford-forrest/) > [The best government is the one that charges you the least blackmail for leaving you alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rudman-brown/the-best-government-is-the-one-that-charges-you-the-least-blackmail/) [Thomas Rudman-Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rudman-brown/) > [Which is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/which-is-the-best-government-that-which-teaches-us-to-govern-ourselves/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Every organization of our government, the best government in the world, is crumbling to pieces. Those who have it in their hands are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/every-organization-of-our-government-the-best-government-in-the-world/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Do not adopt the best system of government, but the one most likely to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-bolivar/do-not-adopt-the-best-system-of-government-but-the-one-most-likely-to/) [Simon Bolivar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-bolivar/) > [The role of government has never been to plan every detail or dictate every outcome. 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Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-best-government-is-a-benevolent-tyranny-tempered-by-an-occasional/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-best-government-is-that-which-teaches-us-to-govern-ourselves/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The best government is not the one that you can serve in the longest, but the government that's closest to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brauchler/the-best-government-is-not-the-one-that-you-can-serve-in-the-longest/) [George Brauchler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brauchler/) > [Lets tell young people the best books are yet to written; the best painting, the best government the best of everything is yet to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-erskine/lets-tell-young-people-the-best-books-are-yet-to-written-the-best/) [John Erskine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-erskine/) > [...open-market democratic capitalism isn't the best system of government in the world, it just works the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ringo/open-market-democratic-capitalism-isn-t-the-best-system-of-government/) [John Ringo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ringo/) > [Rich Indians typically tried to work around a dysfunctional government. Private security was hired, city water was filtered, private school tuitions were paid. Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/rich-indians-typically-tried-to-work-around-a-dysfunctional/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) ## More by Peter Viereck > [“Reality is that which, when you don't believe in it, doesn't go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-viereck/reality-is-that-which-when-you-don-t-believe-in-it-doesn-t-go-away/) [Peter Viereck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-viereck/) > [I can think of nothing more gallant, even though again and again we fail, than attempting to get at the facts; attempting to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-viereck/i-can-think-of-nothing-more-gallant-even-though-again-and-again-we/) [Peter Viereck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-viereck/) > [What keeps earth air breathable? Not oxygen alone. The earth is a freer place to breathe in, every time you love without calculating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-viereck/what-keeps-earth-air-breathable-not-oxygen-alone-the-earth-is-a-freer/) [Peter Viereck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-viereck/) [Explore all 4 Peter Viereck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-viereck/) ## More Aristocrats quotes > [Women are aristocrats, and it is always the mother who makes us feel that we belong to the better sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/women-are-aristocrats-and-it-is-always-the-mother-who-makes-us-feel/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [When aristocrats pretend they're common people -- they get common!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/when-aristocrats-pretend-they-re-common-people-they-get-common/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ “As a young man he seemed to pine for a bygone world of aristocrats. \[In his twenties, he\] took to wearing Edwardian three-piece suits… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wallace/as-a-young-man-he-seemed-to-pine-for-a-bygone-world-of-aristocrats-in/) [Benjamin Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wallace/) > [Aristocrats fear the people, and wish to transfer all power to the higher classes of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/aristocrats-fear-the-people-and-wish-to-transfer-all-power-to-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“The emancipation of women was destined to follow that of the slaves and the glorification of people without a caste and without traditions, namely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-emancipation-of-women-was-destined-to-follow-that-of-the-slaves/) [Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/) > [“The aristocrats had to force them to do their jobs. After all, human beings are not badgers. We aren't molded to stoop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-rimas-evan-d-g-fraser/the-aristocrats-had-to-force-them-to-do-their-jobs-after-all-human/) [Andrew Rimas Evan D.G. Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-rimas-evan-d-g-fraser/) > [Now people want what the movie was about, which is violent comedy. And that's really what The Aristocrats is based on - what will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/now-people-want-what-the-movie-was-about-which-is-violent-comedy-and/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [ “\[...\] Just because a person has a title doesn't make him an aristocrat. 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Personally he couldn't tell the difference, yet the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/he-turned-from-the-daughters-of-minor-aristocrats-to-those-of/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) > [I was born trash in a land where the people all believe themselves natural aristocrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-was-born-trash-in-a-land-where-the-people-all-believe-themselves/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [That's how the Germans are… The aristocrats at the top hard as glass, cold as ice, servants of the King, the working masses willing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-doblin/that-s-how-the-germans-are-the-aristocrats-at-the-top-hard-as-glass/) [Alfred Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-doblin/) [Browse all 52 Aristocrats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aristocrats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy, though slowly attained and never by revolutionary jumps, is the best government on earth when it tries to make all its citizens aristocrats. 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