Men are but children of a larger growth, Our appetites as apt to change as theirs, And full as craving too, and full as vain.
John DrydenRead
If by the people you understand the multitude, the hoi polloi, 'tis no matter what they think; they are sometimes in the right, sometimes in the wrong; their judgment is a mere lottery.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The collective opinion of the masses can be unreliable and inconsistent.
In this quote, John Dryden suggests that public opinion, represented by the ‘hoi polloi’ or the common people, can often be erratic and unpredictable. While the masses may sometimes hold a valid opinion, their judgment is essentially random, and one should not overly concern themselves with the fluctuating judgments of the multitude, as it lacks true reliability.
Themes
Public OpinionJudgmentMassesHoi PolloiReliability
In practice
Example use cases
This could be a valuable quote to use in a discussion about democracy and the effectiveness of public opinion.
More from John Dryden
All quotes →Of no distemper, of no blast he died, _x000D_ But fell like autumn fruit that mellow'd long: _x000D_ Even wonder'd at, because he dropp'd no sooner. _x000D_ Fate seem'd to wind him up for fourscore years; _x000D_ Yet freshly ran he on ten winters more; _x000D_ Till like a clock worn out with eating time, _x000D_ The wheels of weary life at last stood still.
John DrydenRead
Or hast thou known the world so long in vain?
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Shame on the body for breaking down while the spirit perseveres.
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And write whatever Time shall bring to pass_x000D_ _x000D_ With pens of adamant on plates of brass.
John DrydenRead
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