--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy means doing whatever you want…" description: "\"Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking permission of anybody but your boss, your doctor, your lawyer, your landlord, your bank, your ci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png" --- # Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking… ![“Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking permission of anybody but your boss, your doctor, your lawyer, your landlord, your bank, your city, your state and federal authorities, and your wife and children.” quote by Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png) > “Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking permission of anybody but your boss, your doctor, your lawyer, your landlord, your bank, your city, your state and federal authorities, and your wife and children.” [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) ## 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 portrayed as a hierarchy where many authorities still control personal freedom. **In simple terms:** Democracy still has many constraints. Key Takeaway Question authority limits. Themes politics freedom authority Mood critical skeptical Type satire commentary When to use this quote - voting - workplace - healthcare decisions Key Concepts Social contract power structures Questions to Reflect On - Who truly benefits from this view? - How can citizens gain more autonomy? A Different Perspective Overlooks individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Asking permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-permission/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-means/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Landlord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landlord/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-doing/) [Permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permission/) [Permission Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permission-anybody-3198052/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [I will be making films, and I'm going to keep working, no matter what I have to do. And I don't plan to ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/i-will-be-making-films-and-i-m-going-to-keep-working-no-matter-what-i/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [Gerard Houllier's thoughts on the matter international football echo mine. He thinks that what the national coaches are doing is like taking the car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/gerard-houllier-s-thoughts-on-the-matter-international-football-echo/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [“You're not asking me for advice, you're asking me for permission.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/you-re-not-asking-me-for-advice-you-re-asking-me-for-permission/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Can I cut off your head?" "Are you asking for my permission?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/can-i-cut-off-your-head-are-you-asking-for-my-permission/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [If you want to send a manuscript, send it to an agent. And send a letter first, asking permission. Launch it into the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/if-you-want-to-send-a-manuscript-send-it-to-an-agent-and-send-a/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [The thing I hate most in acting is asking permission to do things. What you really want to do is say, 'This is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/the-thing-i-hate-most-in-acting-is-asking-permission-to-do-things/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [Do not smoke without asking permission or sit so near (as in a train) that the smoke might annoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-vanderbilt/do-not-smoke-without-asking-permission-or-sit-so-near-as-in-a-train/) [Amy Vanderbilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-vanderbilt/) > [Change isn't made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/change-isn-t-made-by-asking-permission-change-is-made-by-asking/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“I’m not asking your permission, Lily. This is how it’ll be. I won’t accept a small part of you anymore. I’ll own all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dosher/i-m-not-asking-your-permission-lily-this-is-how-it-ll-be-i-won-t/) [Sarah Dosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dosher/) > [If you want to live a great life, stop asking everyone else for permission. Stop seeking to live up to other people's expectations, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/if-you-want-to-live-a-great-life-stop-asking-everyone-else-for/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [The United States could transform its property tax system into a progressive tax on net worth without asking permission to the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/the-united-states-could-transform-its-property-tax-system-into-a/) [Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/) > [My father said he was going to write to the Jinzhou City Party Committee asking for permission to 'talk about love'...My mother supposed it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jung-chang/my-father-said-he-was-going-to-write-to-the-jinzhou-city-party/) [Jung Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jung-chang/) > [“Between asking permission and begging forgiveness, I lean toward the latter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/between-asking-permission-and-begging-forgiveness-i-lean-toward-the/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“The schizo knows how to leave: he has made departure into something as simple as being born or dying. But at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deleuze-guattari/the-schizo-knows-how-to-leave-he-has-made-departure-into-something-as/) [Deleuze Guattari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deleuze-guattari/) > [“John turned to me. "Frozen daiquiri?" "Pina colada, please." "Virgin?" He wasn't asking my permission. He was just making sure I knew he wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/john-turned-to-me-frozen-daiquiri-pina-colada-please-virgin-he-wasn-t/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) ## More by Sam Levenson > [The Puritans came to America to worship in their way and to force everybody else to do the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-puritans-came-to-america-to-worship-in-their-way-and-to-force/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [If you want to kill time, try working it to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/if-you-want-to-kill-time-try-working-it-to-death/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/you-must-learn-from-the-mistakes-of-others-you-can-t-possibly-live/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [How wise are thy commandments, Lord. Each of them applies to somebody I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/how-wise-are-thy-commandments-lord-each-of-them-applies-to-somebody-i/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [You don't have to be in "Who's Who" to know what's what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/you-don-t-have-to-be-in-who-s-who-to-know-what-s-what/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [I'm going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/i-m-going-to-stop-putting-things-off-starting-tomorrow/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [A woman's place is in the home. Why should she go out and take away a workingman's pay instead of staying home and stealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/a-woman-s-place-is-in-the-home-why-should-she-go-out-and-take-away-a/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Any kid who has two parents who are interested in him and has a houseful of books isn't poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/any-kid-who-has-two-parents-who-are-interested-in-him-and-has-a/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/for-attractive-lips-speak-words-of-kindness-for-lovely-eyes-seek-out/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [At the U.N., any nation that fights back is censored as an "aggressor."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/at-the-u-n-any-nation-that-fights-back-is-censored-as-an-aggressor/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [The American success formula is first to get a home of your own, then to get a car of your own so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-american-success-formula-is-first-to-get-a-home-of-your-own-then/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Never lend money to a friend. It's dangerous. It could damage his memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/never-lend-money-to-a-friend-it-s-dangerous-it-could-damage-his-memory/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [How wise are Thy commandments O Lord. Each one of them applies to somebody or other I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/how-wise-are-thy-commandments-o-lord-each-one-of-them-applies-to/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Siblings: children of the same parents, each of whom is perfectly normal until they get together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/siblings-children-of-the-same-parents-each-of-whom-is-perfectly/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) [Explore all 65 Sam Levenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) [Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking permission of anybody but your boss, your doctor, your lawyer, your landlord, your bank, your city, your state and federal authorities, and your wife and children.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Levenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want-without-asking-permission-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want-without-asking-permission-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/sam-levenson-10469_asking_democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want_3060893.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democracy means doing whatever you want without asking permission of anybody but your boss, your doctor…” — Sam Levenson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sam Levenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democracy means doing whatever you want...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want-without-asking-permission-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/democracy-means-doing-whatever-you-want-without-asking-permission-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```