--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But fairness is not the only, or even the…" description: "\"“But fairness is not the only, or even the most important, consideration in law: the law is not always fair. Contracts are not fair, not always. But so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/hanya-yanagihara-4245_contracts_but-fairness-is-not-the-only-or-even-the_91963.jpg" --- # But fairness is not the only, or even the most important… ![“But fairness is not the only, or even the most important, consideration in law: the law is not always fair. Contracts are not fair, not always. But sometimes they are necessary, these unfairnesses, because they are necessary for the proper functioning of society. In this class you will learn the…” quote by Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/hanya-yanagihara-4245_contracts_but-fairness-is-not-the-only-or-even-the_91963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/hanya-yanagihara-4245_contracts_but-fairness-is-not-the-only-or-even-the_91963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/293/hanya-yanagihara-4245_contracts_but-fairness-is-not-the-only-or-even-the_91963.jpg) > ““But fairness is not the only, or even the most important, consideration in law: the law is not always fair. Contracts are not fair, not always. But sometimes they are necessary, these unfairnesses, because they are necessary for the proper functioning of society. In this class you will learn the difference between what is fair and what is just, and, as important, between what is fair and what is necessary. You will learn about the obligations we have to one another as members of society, and how far society should go in enforcing those obligations. You will learn to see your life—all of our lives—as a series of agreements, and it will make you rethink not only the law but this country itself, and your place in it. pp.116-7”” [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law balances fairness, justice, and necessity; not all rules are fair, but they sustain societal order. **In simple terms:** Distinguish fairness from justice and necessity. Key Takeaway Law is a framework of obligations, not always equitable. Themes Justice Fairness Social contract Obligations Necessity Mood Reflective Critical Thoughtful Type Philosophical Educational When to use this quote - Studying constitutional law - Negotiating contracts - Policy making Key Concepts Legal theory Societal cohesion Practical Applications - Legal education - Civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - When does fairness become a hindrance to justice? - How should societies enforce obligations without imposing unfairness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [That being said, even if we cannot achieve it, journalism that strives toward objectivity and fairness has an important place in our society. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-waters/the-earth-itself-assures-us-it-is-a-living-entity-deep-below-surface/) [Frank Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-waters/) > [We sign contracts to fight, not to dip, duck and dodge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stephens/we-sign-contracts-to-fight-not-to-dip-duck-and-dodge/) [Jeremy Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stephens/) > [I believe people ought to be treated fairly under the law. 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And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word, slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/record-contracts-are-just-like-i-m-gonna-say-the-word-slavery/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [So, in the last year, the whole cast sued for release from our contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/so-in-the-last-year-the-whole-cast-sued-for-release-from-our-contracts/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) ## More by Hanya Yanagihara > [“People who don’t love math always accuse mathematicians of trying to make math complicated,” Dr. Li had said. “But anyone who does love math…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/people-who-don-t-love-math-always-accuse-mathematicians-of-trying-to/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“At night, as beneath him his parents completed their routines, the banging of the old pipes as they washed their faces and the sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/at-night-as-beneath-him-his-parents-completed-their-routines-the/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [To be a scientist you have to be willing to live with uncertainty for a long time. 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I don't think that genius goes hand in hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/the-big-characters-who-occupy-science-especially-modern-science-are/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“Sometimes I would have to take my glasses off simply so the world would smudge and recede for a moment and cease to seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/sometimes-i-would-have-to-take-my-glasses-off-simply-so-the-world/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I credit my parents for many things that had never seemed remarkable when I was growing up, and one of those things is how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/i-credit-my-parents-for-many-things-that-had-never-seemed-remarkable/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I have one friend to whom I've told more than I've ever told anyone, and yet there are significant territories I have and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/i-have-one-friend-to-whom-i-ve-told-more-than-i-ve-ever-told-anyone/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [“If you keep trying to find everything, you’ll wind up with nothing. AMY:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/if-you-keep-trying-to-find-everything-you-ll-wind-up-with-nothing-amy/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [My father collected turtles when he was young. 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We grant them corporate charters that confer certain legal rights and privileges, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/corporations-are-created-by-the-people-acting-through-their/) [Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/) Browse all 1,004 Contracts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But fairness is not the only, or even the most important, consideration in law: the law is not always fair. Contracts are not fair, not always. But sometimes they are necessary, these unfairnesses, because they are necessary for the proper functioning of society. In this class you will learn the difference between what is fair and what is just, and, as important, between what is fair and what is necessary. You will learn about the obligations we have to one another as members of society, and how far society should go in enforcing those obligations. 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