Chapter II.
“

The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through." in the context of "Chapter II." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Alexis de Tocqueville" (Quotes, 1830s, Democracy in America, Volume I (1835)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Alexis de Tocqueville

About Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville (29 July 1805 – 16 April 1859) was a French political thinker and historian, most famous for his work Democracy in America.