--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether…" description: "\"“Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether unexpectedly this society has had very limited success in achieving what is supposed to be the justification for it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/charles-le-gai-eaton-45611_happiness_sadly-but-perhaps-not-altogether-unexpec_1931494.jpg" --- # Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether unexpectedly this… ![“Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether unexpectedly this society has had very limited success in achieving what is supposed to be the justification for its existence-- the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest possible number of people. In so far as its citizens are saved from the major…” quote by Charles Le Gai Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/charles-le-gai-eaton-45611_happiness_sadly-but-perhaps-not-altogether-unexpec_1931494.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/charles-le-gai-eaton-45611_happiness_sadly-but-perhaps-not-altogether-unexpec_1931494.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/charles-le-gai-eaton-45611_happiness_sadly-but-perhaps-not-altogether-unexpec_1931494.jpg) > ““Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether unexpectedly this society has had very limited success in achieving what is supposed to be the justification for its existence-- the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest possible number of people. In so far as its citizens are saved from the major anxieties and responsibilities which normally surround the business of being a man, they transfer what appears to be an unvarying human capacity for worry to the most trivial things, making mountains out of molehills on a vast scale; and they have 'nervous breakdowns' over problems which men and women living under sterner conditions would hardly find time to notice.”” [Charles Le Gai Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-le-gai-eaton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society’s attempts to maximize happiness often lead to over‑protecting people, shifting anxiety to minor issues and causing disproportionate distress. **In simple terms:** Over‑protecting people creates unnecessary worry. Key Takeaway Balance protection with responsibility. Themes happiness society anxiety responsibility well‑being Mood concerned critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace stress - public policy - education - family dynamics - mental health initiatives Key Concepts utilitarianism psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect without creating dependency? - What minor worries can we let go? A Different Perspective Excessive safety can stifle resilience and personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens Saved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-saved-3025963/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Human capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-capacity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Problems Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-men-347861/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Trivial things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trivial-things/) [Unexpectedly Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpectedly-society-3025962/) ## Related quotes > [Men have never had problems with me. 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He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sadly but, perhaps, not altogether unexpectedly this society has had very limited success in achieving what is supposed to be the justification for its existence-- the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest possible number of people. 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