March 6, 2025

Democracy is rarely beautiful in its workings, for the many refuse to be refined, restrained, and artistic.

George Wrong (1860–1948), Canadian historian, in Walter Stewart, Divide and Con: Canadian Politics at Work (1973), Colombo p.154

Do you consider yourself refined, restrained, or artistic? If so, do you understand you have work to do?

If either the first two—refined and restrained—apply to you, don’t flash them about. If the third—artistic—does apply to you, my suggestion is this: wrap it in a box and put it at the back of the highest shelf in a basement closet. Work on the “common touch”.