What exactly is democracy? Wikipedia states "Democracy, is, literally, rule by the people (from the Greek demos, "people," and kratos, "rule"). The methods by which this rule is exercised, and indeed the composition of "the people" are central to various definitions of democracy, but the general principle is that of majority rule."
There's more to it of course, but read this quote from writer/thinker Marie Louise Von Franz. "Whenever we think we must alter outer nature or manipulate human beings or change them technically, we work for the destruction of our soul and our own life." (from 'Psyche and Matter' by Marie Louis Von Franz)
For me the salient part of the quote is "we think we must." We have the thought to change something in the outer world, but then we "must" put the thought into action. "Must" in this context is friction in relation to democracy. We can think of many examples where an ideology is imposed on an individual or a group to manipulate them: torture, authoritarian rule, fascism, sexism, racism, agism, political suppression. From the perspective of the person receiving, it is an ugly imposition or much worse.
The end of the quote is "the destruction of our soul and our own life." What Von Franz writes is a formula for losing our humanity.
Participation in determining the rules that guide your life is a great responsiblity, not to be given away or handed over to an authority that presumes it knows what is best for you.
Painting by Modigliani
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