--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We so often tend to think our democracies…" description: "\"We so often tend to think our democracies are ruled by procedures and laws, but they are also governed by implicit rules and assumptions and one of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/rutger-bregman-2463_ability_we-so-often-tend-to-think-our-democracie_1582208.jpg" --- # We so often tend to think our democracies are ruled by… ![“We so often tend to think our democracies are ruled by procedures and laws, but they are also governed by implicit rules and assumptions and one of them is the ability to feel shame - that you can be shamed.” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/rutger-bregman-2463_ability_we-so-often-tend-to-think-our-democracie_1582208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/rutger-bregman-2463_ability_we-so-often-tend-to-think-our-democracie_1582208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/rutger-bregman-2463_ability_we-so-often-tend-to-think-our-democracie_1582208.jpg) > “We so often tend to think our democracies are ruled by procedures and laws, but they are also governed by implicit rules and assumptions and one of them is the ability to feel shame - that you can be shamed.” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracies rely not only on formal institutions but also on shared emotional norms like shame that regulate behavior. **In simple terms:** Shame helps keep societies honest. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture healthy social accountability. Themes democracy social norms emotions politics Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political discourse - community building - education - leadership development Key Concepts collective conscience social regulation moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster constructive shame without stigma? - What alternatives exist to shame for social regulation? A Different Perspective Shame can be weaponized, leading to exclusion or oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Assumptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumptions/) [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feel Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-shame/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Shame Shamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-shamed-1091200/) [Shamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shamed/) [Think Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-democracies-2156771/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think we can have democracies that work where most of the people are not benefiting economically, where most of the people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-don-t-think-we-can-have-democracies-that-work-where-most-of-the/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [“This is how we tend to think of democracies dying: at the hands of men with guns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levitsky/this-is-how-we-tend-to-think-of-democracies-dying-at-the-hands-of-men/) [Steven Levitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levitsky/) > [ “The two of them froze and stared at each \[sic\] from across the silent, woolly garden. And Ian, as he always did when he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-long/the-two-of-them-froze-and-stared-at-each-sic-from-across-the-silent/) [Julie Anne Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-long/) > [ I think democracies are prone to inflation because politicians will naturally spend \[excessively\] - they have the power to print money and will use… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-democracies-are-prone-to-inflation-because-politicians-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [As a mum, the last thing you need is to be parent-shamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vogue-williams/as-a-mum-the-last-thing-you-need-is-to-be-parent-shamed/) [Vogue Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vogue-williams/) > [“When our instinctual life is shamed, the natural core of our life is bound up. 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He will never forgive those who have shamed me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nozomu-tamaki/because-akira-cannot-forgive-you-he-will-never-forgive-those-who-have/) [Nozomu Tamaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nozomu-tamaki/) > [I have always been body shamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zareen-khan/i-have-always-been-body-shamed/) [Zareen Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zareen-khan/) > [Y’all dropped the ball and you should be shamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/y-all-dropped-the-ball-and-you-should-be-shamed/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Yes, but either way, shamed or not, I shall be Queen of England, and this is the last time you will sit in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/yes-but-either-way-shamed-or-not-i-shall-be-queen-of-england-and-this/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [“He has shamed me, and he'll kill me, but he shan't humble me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-lofts/he-has-shamed-me-and-he-ll-kill-me-but-he-shan-t-humble-me/) [Norah Lofts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-lofts/) > [“A toxically shamed person is divided within himself and must create a false-self cover-up to hide his sense of being flawed and defective. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/a-toxically-shamed-person-is-divided-within-himself-and-must-create-a/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [“I have shamed Mr. Cuervo”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-a-tucker-2/i-have-shamed-mr-cuervo/) [K A Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-a-tucker-2/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. 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There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/not-coincidentally-the-countries-with-the-shortest-workweeks-also/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) [Explore all 164 Rutger Bregman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. 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