About Democratic Thinking

Democracy. It’s more than just voting, laws, and governments—it’s a way of thinking, living, and engaging with the world. At its core, democracy is about shared decision-making, critical inquiry, and the responsibility of individuals to participate in shaping their communities.

This site is built on the belief that democracy isn’t something we simply inherit—it’s something we must actively understand, practice, and protect.

Why This Exists

For too long, democracy has been framed as something distant—something that happens in parliaments, congresses, and courtrooms. But democracy is everywhere. It’s in how we make decisions with our families, how we engage in discussions at work, and how we respond to the world around us.

This platform is a space for:

  • Exploring what democracy really means—beyond elections and government institutions.

  • Challenging flawed assumptions about power, authority, and civic participation.

  • Developing practical democratic habits that strengthen how we think, live, and engage with others.

  • Providing tools, insights, and discussions to help individuals and communities build democratic habits in everyday life.

Who’s Behind This?

This project is led by Darryl Fillier, an educator and writer with over 30 years of experience in teaching, curriculum design, and exploring how education shapes democratic thinking. He is currently teaching at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Faculty of Education. His work focuses on the intersection of democracy, critical inquiry, and human collaboration—examining how democratic principles function in informal groups (think friendships, families, and when in a lineup at the supermarket), schools, workplaces, communities, and society at large.

Darryl started this project because he saw a need to make democratic thinking more accessible and applicable to everyday life. Rather than discussing democracy as an abstract concept, this site explores how it works in real decisions, real relationships, and real communities.

What You’ll Find Here

The site is structured around three core areas:

  1. Democracy-Centered Cognition – How we develop democratic habits of thought, critical inquiry, and intellectual humility.

  2. Democracy-Centered Living – How we practice democracy in our daily lives—relationships, work, and decision-making.

  3. Democracy-Centered Community – How democratic thinking expands into communities, institutions, and governance.

Join the Conversation

Democracy is not a passive experience. It requires engagement, questioning, and participation. This platform is a starting point for those looking to understand, apply, and strengthen democracy in everyday life.

If you're curious about how democracy works—not just in government, but in thinking, relationships, and society—then you’re in the right place.

Let’s think, live, and build democracy together.