"The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it"

This quote by Voltaire talks with the power of the public and the need to either control it or avoid it. Voltaire is suggesting that the general public is a powerful pressure that can be hard to manage. He is alerting that if one does not take steps to manage the general public, they may be overwhelmed by its power. He is likewise suggesting that it may be much better to prevent the public altogether, rather than attempting to regulate it. This quote talks to the value of understanding the power of the general public as well as the requirement to take steps to handle it. It additionally talks to the requirement to be knowledgeable about the prospective effects of involving with the public, as well as to be prepared to take actions to secure oneself from its power.