--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the overzealous institutionalization of…" description: "\"“the overzealous institutionalization of social relationships, which comes along with the increasing formalization and physical and numerical growth of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb5/aleksandar-fatic-217323_decentralization_the-overzealous-institutionalization-of_2528858.jpg" --- # the overzealous institutionalization of social… ![“the overzealous institutionalization of social relationships, which comes along with the increasing formalization and physical and numerical growth of modern settlements and societies, makes people unhappy and undermines the moral legitimacy of political authorities. The more powerful the…” quote by Aleksandar Fatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb5/aleksandar-fatic-217323_decentralization_the-overzealous-institutionalization-of_2528858.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb5/aleksandar-fatic-217323_decentralization_the-overzealous-institutionalization-of_2528858.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb5/aleksandar-fatic-217323_decentralization_the-overzealous-institutionalization-of_2528858.jpg) > ““the overzealous institutionalization of social relationships, which comes along with the increasing formalization and physical and numerical growth of modern settlements and societies, makes people unhappy and undermines the moral legitimacy of political authorities. The more powerful the institutions, the more ‘rights’ and vested interests they will have in the affairs and interactions of the ordinary citizen, and the more marginal individuals will be compared to the interests of the institutions. The ultimate form of this trend is a situation where institutions become not only a burden, but a threat to public well-being, even to public security. I argue in the book that there are ways to revive organic communities in modern political systems by conducting decentralization, and by adopting models from the existing”” [Aleksandar Fatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-fatic/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overly formal institutions alienate individuals, eroding legitimacy; reviving organic communities via decentralization can restore wellbeing. **In simple terms:** Formal institutions can alienate; decentralization can help. Key Takeaway Promote local autonomy and community ties. Themes politics decentralization community legitimacy social relations Mood critical reflective Type decentralization:1 political systems:1 politics:1 social relationships:1 vested interest:0 moral legitimacy:1 organic communities:1 institutions burden:1 When to use this quote - urban planning - local governance - civic engagement - public policy - social reform Key Concepts institutional theory social capital political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What local structures can empower citizens? - How to balance efficiency with community? A Different Perspective Complex power dynamics may resist decentralization. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decentralization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decentralization/) [Institutions Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions-burden-1323433/) [Moral Legitimacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-legitimacy-290990/) [Organic Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organic-communities-1323432/) [Political systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-systems/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Social relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-relationships/) [Vested interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interest/) ## Related quotes > [“We must rebuild organic communities, where people can come together and have analogue conversations and share stories, art, music and emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/we-must-rebuild-organic-communities-where-people-can-come-together/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [With a nonviolent movement we are still inviting a strong reaction from the government or ruling authorities. We are inviting a powerful reaction against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-dechristopher/with-a-nonviolent-movement-we-are-still-inviting-a-strong-reaction/) [Tim DeChristopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-dechristopher/) > [“Just as order works itself from out of the chaos, decentralization and diversification is able to unite the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/just-as-order-works-itself-from-out-of-the-chaos-decentralization-and/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [ I learned that \[Trotskyism\] were no different from the Stalinists, and they expelled me, which is the typical Marxist-Leninist way of dealing with dissenters.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-learned-that-trotskyism-were-no-different-from-the-stalinists-and/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [All my economic ideas as developed over twenty-five years can be summed up in the words: agricultural-industrial federation. All my political ideas boil down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/all-my-economic-ideas-as-developed-over-twenty-five-years-can-be/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [“once we wrapped the globe in endless circles of wires crossing the deserts and beneath the oceans, decentralization was not only possible, but inevitable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/once-we-wrapped-the-globe-in-endless-circles-of-wires-crossing-the/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [Its true that contemporary technology permits decentralization, it also permits centralization. It depends on how you use the technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/its-true-that-contemporary-technology-permits-decentralization-it/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The real trick in highly reliable systems is somehow to achieve simultaneous centralization and decentralization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-e-weick/the-real-trick-in-highly-reliable-systems-is-somehow-to-achieve/) [Karl E. Weick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-e-weick/) > [I would consider a socialism a mixture of the minimum of centralization necessary for a modern industrial state, and a maximum of decentralization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/i-would-consider-a-socialism-a-mixture-of-the-minimum-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Algorithm without humanity is mental holocaust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/algorithm-without-humanity-is-mental-holocaust/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Decentralization demands both vertical and horizontal deconcentration of services, wealth and power to the long neglected at no political cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ba/decentralization-demands-both-vertical-and-horizontal-deconcentration/) [Ba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ba/) > [Khadi mentality means decentralization of the production and distribution of the necessaries of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/khadi-mentality-means-decentralization-of-the-production-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [American airstrikes...create risks, especially if our intelligence there is rusty. The crucial step, and the one we should apply diplomatic pressure to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/american-airstrikes-create-risks-especially-if-our-intelligence-there/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [The Hacker Ethic: Access to computers--and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works--should be unlimited and total. Always yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levy/the-hacker-ethic-access-to-computers-and-anything-which-might-teach/) [Steven Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levy/) > [From the time I first understood economic principles, I was always concerned also that any system be operated on an efficient basis, which meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/from-the-time-i-first-understood-economic-principles-i-was-always/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) ## More Decentralization quotes > [From the time I first understood economic principles, I was always concerned also that any system be operated on an efficient basis, which meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/from-the-time-i-first-understood-economic-principles-i-was-always/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) > [The Hacker Ethic: Access to computers--and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works--should be unlimited and total. Always yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levy/the-hacker-ethic-access-to-computers-and-anything-which-might-teach/) [Steven Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levy/) > [American airstrikes...create risks, especially if our intelligence there is rusty. The crucial step, and the one we should apply diplomatic pressure to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/american-airstrikes-create-risks-especially-if-our-intelligence-there/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [Khadi mentality means decentralization of the production and distribution of the necessaries of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/khadi-mentality-means-decentralization-of-the-production-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Decentralization demands both vertical and horizontal deconcentration of services, wealth and power to the long neglected at no political cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ba/decentralization-demands-both-vertical-and-horizontal-deconcentration/) [Ba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ba/) > [“Algorithm without humanity is mental holocaust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/algorithm-without-humanity-is-mental-holocaust/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I would consider a socialism a mixture of the minimum of centralization necessary for a modern industrial state, and a maximum of decentralization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/i-would-consider-a-socialism-a-mixture-of-the-minimum-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [The real trick in highly reliable systems is somehow to achieve simultaneous centralization and decentralization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-e-weick/the-real-trick-in-highly-reliable-systems-is-somehow-to-achieve/) [Karl E. Weick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-e-weick/) > [Its true that contemporary technology permits decentralization, it also permits centralization. It depends on how you use the technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/its-true-that-contemporary-technology-permits-decentralization-it/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“once we wrapped the globe in endless circles of wires crossing the deserts and beneath the oceans, decentralization was not only possible, but inevitable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/once-we-wrapped-the-globe-in-endless-circles-of-wires-crossing-the/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [All my economic ideas as developed over twenty-five years can be summed up in the words: agricultural-industrial federation. All my political ideas boil down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/all-my-economic-ideas-as-developed-over-twenty-five-years-can-be/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [ I learned that \[Trotskyism\] were no different from the Stalinists, and they expelled me, which is the typical Marxist-Leninist way of dealing with dissenters.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-learned-that-trotskyism-were-no-different-from-the-stalinists-and/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [“Just as order works itself from out of the chaos, decentralization and diversification is able to unite the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/just-as-order-works-itself-from-out-of-the-chaos-decentralization-and/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [The blockchain is custom-made for decentralizing trust and exchanging assets without central intermediaries. With the decentralization of trust, we will be able to exchange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/the-blockchain-is-custom-made-for-decentralizing-trust-and-exchanging/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [“Command and control corporate structure is out. Collaboration, decentralization and empowerment of small groups and the human spirit is in and is functional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-elias-dawlabani/command-and-control-corporate-structure-is-out-collaboration/) [Said Elias Dawlabani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-elias-dawlabani/) [Browse all 34 Decentralization quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decentralization/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“the overzealous institutionalization of social relationships, which comes along with the increasing formalization and physical and numerical growth of modern settlements and societies, makes people unhappy and undermines the moral legitimacy of political authorities. The more powerful the institutions, the more ‘rights’ and vested interests they will have in the affairs and interactions of the ordinary citizen, and the more marginal individuals will be compared to the interests of the institutions. 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