If the surprise outcome of the recent UK referendum - on whether to leave or remain in the European Union - teaches us anything, it is that supposedly worthy displays of democracy in action can actually do more harm than good. Witness a nation now more divided; an intergenerational schism in the making; both a governing and opposition party torn to shreds from the inside; infinitely more complex issues raised than satisfactory solutions provided. It begs the question 'Was it really all worth it' ?

mistakes poverty fear breakup lies inspirational-quotes worth empowerment growth choices separation regret decisions identity power breakups control neighbors blame leadership breaking-up friendship-quotes education lessons deceit racism protection enmity worth-it life-changing democracy left-behind introspection protect break-up stronger power-of-thoughts power-of-words teachings self-harm danger security disaster fascism currency politicians english unity peace-of-mind conviction breaking-free race jobs debate prosperity peace-making peace-movement rights life-changing-events elections surprises issues status-quo campaigning safety choices-and-consequences surprise economy decision-making political-philosophy complexity capitalism results reform political-parties warning british political nationalism political-commentary irish employment persuasion error wales welsh errors lessons-learned debates result division terrorism philosophy-quotes peace-quote introspective generations lessons-learnt worthwhile remain right-path immigration historians democracy-gone-wrong economics-society britain lessons-learned-in-life crossroads scepticism collaboration quote-of-the-day empowering-quotes warnings growth-ideology lessons-for-man lessons-of-life quotable quotable-quotes quotes-about-life judgement-day blame-game team-building england decision-quotes educational-quotes cooperation decisions-in-life teamwork controlling conviction-quotes leadership-quotes teaching-quotes identity-crisis mistakes-quotes unity-quotes wealth-creation poverty-quotes team-spirit choices-quotes integration powerful-quotes unity-of-all-people teacher-quotes stronger-quotes inclusion separation-and-union life-challenges regret-quotes leadership-styles politics-quotes youthful-optimism scotland scottish vote antagonism schools collaborative fear-quote new-dawn election-results new-day-quotes racism-quotes neighbours hospitals confrontation jobseeking self-inflicted outcome-quotes uk voters european european-history judgement-quotes enemy-quotes safeguard choices-based-on-faith harmful cultural-identity deprivation right-wing-politics united-kingdom reformers dangerous-minds campaigns divorce-quotes national-security lies-we-tell-ourselves results-quote trying-times war-on-terror poverty-alleviation antagonistic austerity better-in better-off boris-johnson breaking-rules brexit british-history british-people brussels budget-cuts campaign-contributions campaign-promises choices-you-make clash-of-civilizations clashes co-operate-leaders co-operation complexity-and-information confrontational cultural-diversity currency-trading dangerous-liaisons dangerous-world david-cameron debate-quotes deceit-quotes democracy-criticism democracy-voting devolution devolve disaster-quotes discord disenchantment disenfranchised disengagement divisions divisions-in-society divisiveness economic-collapse economic-crisis election-promises employment-laws enemy-of-the-state enmity-quotes eu euro euro-eurosceptic european-civilization european-economic-area european-imperialism european-union europeans euroscepticism fascism-in-europe generation-gap going-it-alone history-repeating-itself identity-confusion identity-politics inclusive introspective-quotes leadership-contest left-wing lies-politics life-changing-quotes little-england little-englander national-identity northern-ireland persuasiveness political-quandary political-quotes politicians-quotations politicians-quotes politicians-tradegy politics-observation poor-choices poverty-and-politics poverty-inequality prosperity-quote quotability racism-and-culture referendum referendums regression regrets-in-life remain-quote right-wing sceptical schools-of-thought self-harmer self-inflicted-misery self-inflicted-pain separation-anxiety separation-of-powers separations sovreign sovreignty squabble squabbling take-back take-back-control tariffs torn-apart torn-from-the-inside-out tory tory-party vote-for-the-truth vote-leave vote-remain votes warning-quotes

A feeling struck me one fine day that people call ‘love’,Before that my life was empty, all I had was loneliness and sorrow…I loved the way it felt being with him, for I felt up above,Now everything was complete and nothing remained hollow…That person who cupid made me fall for, was a God descended from heavens,I loved him with all I had, a true heart and a pure soul…I thought I achieved the meaning of life, never did I felt so glad,But when he left me amidst a chaos, I had no one with me to console…I cried, it hurt, I wept and screamed, everyone called me ‘mad’,And still I wonder if in my life, that actually was his role…But a string still binds me to my past of untold vow,Some unsaid promises that linger between us even now,Although I don’t know where he went after that fateful day…I still try to convince myself every day, I know how,Each moment has been tough, each day a new challenge…Each hour passed as if it was my heart that always allowed,One more day to live without him, one more day to cherish…One more day to spend without the love of my life somehow,But he doesn’t know that one day, the girl herself would perish…Who loved him and lived each day of her life in his wait,For the man who never returned, for the man who wasn’t in her fate…