The premonition of madness is complicated by the fear of lucidity in madness, the fear of the moments of return and reunion... One would welcome chaos if one were not afraid of lights in it.
Emile M. CioranRead
A marvel that has nothing to offer, democracy is at once a nation's paradise and its tomb.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Democracy can bring great benefits but also has inherent flaws that can lead to a nation's decline.
Cioran's quote reflects the dual nature of democracy, portraying it as both a beautiful ideal and a potential source of downfall. He suggests that while democracy offers freedom and opportunity, it can also lead to complacency and deterioration if not properly maintained, highlighting the paradox of a system that is simultaneously a utopia and a graveyard for nations.
Themes
DemocracyNationParadoxFreedomDecline
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, to discuss the complexities of democracy.
More from Emile M. Cioran
All quotes βWe are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
Emile M. CioranRead
There was a time when time did not yet exist. β¦ The rejection of birth is nothing but the nostalgia for this time before time.
Emile M. CioranRead
Paradise was unendurable, otherwise the first man would have adapted to it; this world is no less so, since here we regret paradise or anticipate another one. What to do? Where to go? Do nothing and go nowhere, easy enough.
Emile M. CioranRead
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Emile M. CioranRead
Ambition is a drug that makes its addicts potential madmen.
Emile M. CioranRead
Similar quotes
Lay down true principles and adhere to them inflexibly. Do not be frightened into their surrender by the alarms of the timid, or the croakings of wealth against the ascendency of the people.
Thomas JeffersonRead
No, Iβm not an American. Iβm one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism. One of the β¦ victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So, Iβm not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or a flag-saluter, or a flag-waver - no, not I. Iβm speaking as a victim of this American system. And I see America through the eyes of the victim. I donβt see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.
Malcolm XRead
I must be cruel, only to be kind.
William ShakespeareRead
Brittle masculinity, in the right setting, becomes political atrocity. Strength brings problems; weakness brings others, but weakness posing as strength is the most dangerous of all.
Timothy D. SnyderRead
...not all encounters with the world affect the mind equally. Studies have demonstrated that if the brain appraises an event as "meaningful," it will be more likely to be recalled in the future.
Daniel J. SiegelRead
Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe. Though seemingly affected only by its immediate surrounding, the sphere of external influence extends to infinite distance.
Nikola TeslaRead