The aspect of American society is animated, because men and things are always changing; but it is monotonous, because all the changes are alike.
Interpretation
American society is full of constant change, yet these changes lack diversity and uniqueness.
Alexis De Tocqueville highlights a paradox in American society where there is an illusion of vibrant change due to the constant flux of events and people, but upon closer inspection, these changes are fundamentally similar, leading to a sense of monotony. This suggests that while society appears dynamic on the surface, it can lack depth and variety in its transformations.
In practice
In a discussion about societal trends at a conference on urban development.
Democratic communities have a natural taste for freedom: left to themselves they will seek it, cherish it, and view any deprivation of it with regret. But for equality their passion is ardent, insatiable, incessant, invincible: they call for equality in freedom; and if they cannot obtain that, they still call for equality in slavery.
Religion, which never intervenes directly in the government of American society, should therefore be considered as the first of their political institutions
The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.
The Indian knew how to live without wants, to suffer without complaint, and to die singing.
Grant me thirty years of equal division of inheritances and a free press, and I will provide you with a republic.
When none but the wealthy had watches, they were almost all very good ones; few are now made which are worth much, but everybody has one in his pocket.
Creative ideas are often attacked because people oppose change or do not understand new concepts.
Efforts to bar transgender people from restrooms are nothing more than an attempt to codify discrimination before our country advances any further on transgender equality.
Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances.
I like every individual editor, designer, marketing and publicity person I deal with, but I don't like what publishers, corporately, are doing to the ecology of the book world. It's damaging, and it should change.
It is true that when there's a drone attack, those - that the - the terrorists are killed, it's true. But 500 and 5,000 more people rises against it, and more terrorism occurs, and more - more bomb blasts occurs.
Change is not made without inconvenience.
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