--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The right to dissent is the only thing…" description: "\"The right to dissent is the only thing that makes life tolerable for a judge of an appellate court... the affairs of government could not be conducted ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/william-o-douglas-2931_affair_the-right-to-dissent-is-the-only-thing-t_2479103.jpg" --- # The right to dissent is the only thing that makes life… ![“The right to dissent is the only thing that makes life tolerable for a judge of an appellate court... the affairs of government could not be conducted by democratic standards without it.” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/william-o-douglas-2931_affair_the-right-to-dissent-is-the-only-thing-t_2479103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/william-o-douglas-2931_affair_the-right-to-dissent-is-the-only-thing-t_2479103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/william-o-douglas-2931_affair_the-right-to-dissent-is-the-only-thing-t_2479103.jpg) > “The right to dissent is the only thing that makes life tolerable for a judge of an appellate court... the affairs of government could not be conducted by democratic standards without it.” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dissent protects judicial impartiality and prevents tyranny in government decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Dissent keeps judges honest and government fair. Key Takeaway Guard dissent, protect democracy. Themes justice government freedom Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - court deliberations - legislative debates - public policy formation Key Concepts rule of law checks and balances judicial independence Questions to Reflect On - How does dissent strengthen democratic institutions? - What risks arise when dissent is ignored? A Different Perspective Dissent can be suppressed by political pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) [Dissent Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent-thing-843812/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Judge Appellate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-appellate-442976/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Right Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-dissent-843810/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Tolerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerable/) [Tolerable Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerable-judge-843811/) ## Related quotes > [A simple way to determine whether the right to dissent in a particular society is being upheld is to apply the town square test:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/a-simple-way-to-determine-whether-the-right-to-dissent-in-a/) [Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/) > [“Before a new authority can be set up in the place of one that exists, there is an interval when the right of dissent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-new-authority-can-be-set-up-in-the-place-of-one-that-exists/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dissent is not sacred; the right of dissent is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurman-arnold/dissent-is-not-sacred-the-right-of-dissent-is/) [Thurman Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurman-arnold/) > [Free societies are societies in which the right of dissent is protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/free-societies-are-societies-in-which-the-right-of-dissent-is/) [Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/) > [We may be so eager to protect the right to dissent that we lose sight of the difference between dissent and subversion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-perle/we-may-be-so-eager-to-protect-the-right-to-dissent-that-we-lose-sight/) [Richard Perle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-perle/) > [My personal opinions on any subject are really not relevant, not important, and to the extent that I might inject them, I am acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-trump-barry/my-personal-opinions-on-any-subject-are-really-not-relevant-not/) [Maryanne Trump Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-trump-barry/) > [A dog, I will maintain, is a very tolerable judge of beauty, as appears from the fact that any liberally educated dog does, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-dog-i-will-maintain-is-a-very-tolerable-judge-of-beauty-as-appears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dissent in art is a fundamental right. 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Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Realization of this need means adults must awaken to the urgency of the young people's unrest-in other words there must be created an adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/realization-of-this-need-means-adults-must-awaken-to-the-urgency-of/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [These unwritten amenities have been in part responsible for giving our people the feeling of independence and self-confidence, the feeling of creativity. These amenities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/these-unwritten-amenities-have-been-in-part-responsible-for-giving/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The first opinion the Court ever filed has a dissenting opinion. Dissent is a tradition of this Court... When someone is writing for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-opinion-the-court-ever-filed-has-a-dissenting-opinion/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [Sometimes limbo is a tolerable place to be stuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/sometimes-limbo-is-a-tolerable-place-to-be-stuck/) [William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/) ## More by William O. 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