In the largest scheme of things, just as no one has the right to tell us our true value, no one has the right to tell us what we truly owe.
David GraeberRead
It's true that most American citizens think of themselves as living in a democratic country. But when was the last time that any Americans actually sat down and came to a collective decision? Maybe if they are ordering pizzas, but basically never.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the illusion of democracy among Americans, highlighting the infrequent occasions where collective decision-making genuinely occurs.
David Graeber's quote questions the authenticity of democratic practices in the United States by pointing out that while citizens consider themselves part of a democratic society, true collective decision-making is rarely practiced. He suggests that even in casual scenarios, like ordering pizza, the communal decision-making process is an exception rather than the norm, thus revealing a disconnect between the ideal of democracy and the actual engagement of citizens in democratic processes.
Themes
DemocracyCollective DecisionPoliticsCitizenshipEngagement
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech discussing civic engagement, you could use this quote to illustrate the need for more active participation in democracy.
More from David Graeber
All quotes →As it turns out, we don't "all" have to pay our debts. Only some of us do.
David GraeberRead
Similar quotes
I work a lot with blind people in my spare time outside of Unilever, and I count my blessings every day.
Paul PolmanRead
The greatest good is what we do for others.
Mother TeresaRead
One day, Annabel saw the sun and moon in the sky at the same time. The sight filled her with a terror which entirely consumed her and did not leave her until the night closed in catastrophe for she had no instinct for self-preservation if she was confronted by ambiguities.
Angela CarterRead
With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind.
Pier Giorgio FrassatiRead
We are passing into a social phase in which unless a heroic effort is made for human dignity and freedom, gold will be the sole method of government and therefore the sole standard of manners.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
We know that freedom has many dimensions. It is the right of the man who tills the land to own the land; the right of the workers to join together to seek better conditions of labor; the right of businessmen to use ingenuity and foresight to produce and distribute without arbitrary interference in a truly competitive economy.
Robert KennedyRead