Famous quote by John Ralston Saul

"The citizen's job is to be rude - to pierce the comfort of professional intercourse by boorish expressions of doubt"

About this Quote

John Ralston Saul’s words assert a crucial dynamic within democratic society: the importance of active, sometimes uncomfortable, civic engagement. He challenges the notion that politeness, especially between professionals or those in power, should always prevail. The suggestion is that roles like journalist, politician, or bureaucrat, often framed by rituals of professionalism, tend toward self-sustaining conversations that can exclude true scrutiny. In these spaces, politeness operates as a shield, preventing the kinds of objections, criticisms, or questions that might unsettle consensus or challenge power.

Saul identifies being “rude” not as simple incivility or malice but as necessary skepticism. This “rudeness” is a deliberate refusal to accept comfortable narratives; it’s the willingness to interject doubt precisely at the moment when agreement and deference would otherwise go unchallenged. Such expressions may be seen as boorish, lacking refinement, or as a breach of the unspoken codes that maintain professional decorum. Yet, this is precisely their value: they force open a space for honest debate, for the voicing of unpopular or inconvenient doubts, and for disruption of the status quo.

This approach is foundational to democracy’s health. It positions the citizen not as a passive audience to decisions made by elites, but as an agitator, someone whose critical voice is indispensable in preventing groupthink or the gradual solidification of unjust power. Saul’s advocacy of “boorish expressions of doubt” is an argument for vigilance, for rejecting the seductive lull of easy comfort in civic life, and for recognizing that democratic discourse can only be rigorous if it sometimes feels uncomfortable. By “piercing the comfort,” citizens ensure that authority remains accountable, that received wisdom is constantly interrogated, and that society continues to question itself in pursuit of improvement.

About the Author

Canada Flag This quote is from John Ralston Saul somewhere between June 19, 1947 and today. He/she was a famous Author from Canada. The author also have 16 other quotes.
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