By their innocence and goodness, by their boundless capacity for forgiveness, and by the sheer power of their faith and hope, children redeem their parents, bringing out their best selves.
Cass SunsteinRead
A system of limitless individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the interest of citizenship and self-government.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Limitless individual choices in communication can undermine the ideals of citizenship and self-governance.
This quote by Cass Sunstein suggests that while individual freedom to make choices in communication appears beneficial, it may actually hinder the collective interests necessary for a well-functioning democratic society. The abundance of choices can lead to fragmentation, misinformation, and weakened civic engagement, ultimately posing a threat to democratic principles and the responsibilities that come with citizenship.
Themes
CommunicationCitizenshipDemocracyFreedomGovernance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a political discussion about the impact of social media on democracy.
More from Cass Sunstein
All quotes βIf a company has acted badly, people want to punish it - not in order to deter future misconduct, but simply because they're outraged. And the more outraged they are, the more punishment they want to inflict.
Cass SunsteinRead
If you look at a great city, one of its amazing features is that you're going to find all sorts of things that you might not specifically have chosen in advance. And they will change your day. Maybe your month. Maybe your whole life.
Cass SunsteinRead
It can be easy and tempting, especially during a presidential campaign, to listen only to opinions that mirror and fortify one's own. That's not ideal, because it eliminates learning and makes it impossible for people to understand what they dismiss as 'the other side.'
Cass SunsteinRead
Research shows that if people are talking and listening to like-minded others, they become more dogmatic, more unified, and more extreme. Personalized Facebook experiences are a breeding ground for misunderstanding and miscommunication across political lines and, ultimately, for extremism.
Cass SunsteinRead
If the air quality is terrible in Los Angeles, if a particular university is unusually expensive, if crime is on the rise in Dallas, or if a company has a lot of recalled toys, transparency can spur change. Whenever public or private institutions have to answer to the public, their performance is likely to improve.
Cass SunsteinRead
Similar quotes
When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensible of duties.
Marquis De LafayetteRead
My principal anguish, and the wellspring of all my joys and sorrows, has been the incessant merciless battle between the spirit and the flesh.
Nikos KazantzakisRead
People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say it's absolutely idiotic. I mean, there's no way to reconcile those two things. You just have to forget the whole business of what people are saying.
Paul AusterRead
God makes confetti out of our titles and accomplishments to celebrate the poor and the humble.
Bob GoffRead
This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do.
Jack KerouacRead
In the fulfillment of your duties, let your intentions be so pure that you reject from your actions any other motive than the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Pope John Paul IiRead