Source: Ringworld (1970), p. 177
“When majority is insane, sane must go to asylum.”
Source: Thoughts Selected from the Writings of Horace Mann (1872), p. 184
“The minority is always in the right. The majority is always in the wrong.”
Attributed to Twain, but never sourced. Suspiciously close to "A minority may be right, and the majority is always in the wrong." — Henrik Ibsen "Enemy of the People," as well as a famous quote from Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
Misattributed
“A majority is always the best repartee.”
Bk. II, Ch. 1.
Books, Coningsby (1844), Tancred (1847)
Life, p. 9
Collected Poems (1993)
Source: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
Review of Democracy in Europe (1878)
Context: The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections. To break off that point is to avert the danger. The common system of representation perpetuates the danger. Unequal electorates afford no security to majorities. Equal electorates give none to minorities. Thirty-five years ago it was pointed out that the remedy is proportional representation. It is profoundly democratic, for it increases the influence of thousands who would otherwise have no voice in the government; and it brings men more near an equality by so contriving that no vote shall be wasted, and that every voter shall contribute to bring into Parliament a member of his own opinions.
The Devil's Dictionary (1911)
“They will smile, as they always do when they plan a major attack late in the night.”
Emissaries http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/emissaries/
From the poems written in English
“I don't believe the majority always knows what's best for everyone.”
2010s, I don't know, so I'm an atheist libertarian (2011)
Context: Government is force — literally, not figuratively.
I don't believe the majority always knows what's best for everyone. The fact that the majority thinks they have a way to get something good does not give them the right to use force on the minority that don't want to pay for it. If you have to use a gun, I don't believe you really know jack. Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It's just ganging up against the weird kid, and I'm always the weird kid.
