--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Equality may be the law, but no human…" description: "\"Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it.\" — Honore de Balzac" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png" --- # Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it. ![“Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it.” quote by Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png) > “Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it.” [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal equality does not guarantee actual equality; it requires active human effort to enforce and realize. **In simple terms:** Law alone can't create true equality. Key Takeaway Take action to enforce fairness. Themes equality law human agency justice Mood determined hopeful Type political motivational When to use this quote - political activism - community organizing Key Concepts social structures policy implementation civil rights movements Questions to Reflect On - What actions can individuals take to promote real equality? - How can institutions be held accountable? A Different Perspective Law may be insufficient without societal will. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Human power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-power/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [All human power is a compound of time and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-human-power-is-a-compound-of-time-and-patience/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The poor have to labour in the face of the majestic equality of the law, which forbids the rich as well as the poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-poor-have-to-labour-in-the-face-of-the-majestic-equality-of-the/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“There is no law, human or divine, that this man has not ignored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/there-is-no-law-human-or-divine-that-this-man-has-not-ignored/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Beauty is the greatest of human powers. Any power without counterbalance or control becomes autocratic and leads to abuse and to folly. Despotism in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/beauty-is-the-greatest-of-human-powers-any-power-without/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness... We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/kings-or-parliaments-could-not-give-the-rights-essential-to-happiness/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Everything is governed by one law. A human being is a microcosmos, i.e. the laws prevailing in the cosmos also operate in the minutest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-schauberger/everything-is-governed-by-one-law-a-human-being-is-a-microcosmos-i-e/) [Viktor Schauberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-schauberger/) > [“If, by virtue of the Second Law, we can demand of any robot unlimited obedience in all respects not involving harm to a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/if-by-virtue-of-the-second-law-we-can-demand-of-any-robot-unlimited/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Compassion is the chief law of human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/compassion-is-the-chief-law-of-human-existence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nonviolence is the law of the human race and is infinitely greater than, and superior to, brute force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolence-is-the-law-of-the-human-race-and-is-infinitely-greater/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Demeter became a “law” because a human being decided so; don’t be fooled by its grandiose name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandi-metz/demeter-became-a-law-because-a-human-being-decided-so-don-t-be-fooled/) [Sandi Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandi-metz/) > [Terrorism can never be accepted. We must fight it together, with methods that do not compromise our respect for the rule of law and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lindh/terrorism-can-never-be-accepted-we-must-fight-it-together-with/) [Anna Lindh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lindh/) > [There is a law in human nature which draws us to like what we passionately condemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-russell/there-is-a-law-in-human-nature-which-draws-us-to-like-what-we/) [George William Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-russell/) > [In war, in some sense, lies the very genius of law. It is law creative and active; it is the first principle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-war-in-some-sense-lies-the-very-genius-of-law-it-is-law-creative/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Is it some law of human nature that you inevitably become whatever your first commander was?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/is-it-some-law-of-human-nature-that-you-inevitably-become-whatever/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Habit is the deepest law of human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/habit-is-the-deepest-law-of-human-nature/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## More by Honore de Balzac > [“Oh, my friend, when you love, love a woman whom you are sure that you can love always. Never forsake a woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/oh-my-friend-when-you-love-love-a-woman-whom-you-are-sure-that-you/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“You have broken the ice, though you have not even scratched its glossy surface: you have placed your hand upon the croup of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/you-have-broken-the-ice-though-you-have-not-even-scratched-its-glossy/) [Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [In a world of hunchbacks, a fine figure becomes a monstrosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/in-a-world-of-hunchbacks-a-fine-figure-becomes-a-monstrosity/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [It is quite right what they say: the three most beautiful sights in the world are a ship in full sail, a galloping horse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/it-is-quite-right-what-they-say-the-three-most-beautiful-sights-in/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [My writing table has seen all my wretchedness, knows all my plans, has overheard all my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/my-writing-table-has-seen-all-my-wretchedness-knows-all-my-plans-has/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Foppery, being the chronic condition of women, is not so much noticed as it is when it breaks out on the person of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/foppery-being-the-chronic-condition-of-women-is-not-so-much-noticed/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [A married woman is a slave you must know how to seat upon a throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-married-woman-is-a-slave-you-must-know-how-to-seat-upon-a-throne/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [I am a galley slave to pen and ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/i-am-a-galley-slave-to-pen-and-ink/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [One can imagine the look the two lovers exchanged; it was like a flame, for virtuous lovers have not a shred of hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/one-can-imagine-the-look-the-two-lovers-exchanged-it-was-like-a-flame/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [White and shining virgin of all human virtues, ark of the covenant between earth and heaven, tender and strong companion partaking of the lion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/white-and-shining-virgin-of-all-human-virtues-ark-of-the-covenant/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [All men can bear a familiar, definite misfortune better than the cruel alternations of a fate which, from one moment to another, brings excessive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-men-can-bear-a-familiar-definite-misfortune-better-than-the-cruel/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The mind, too, has its regimen. It needs gymnastics, just like the body does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-mind-too-has-its-regimen-it-needs-gymnastics-just-like-the-body/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Hatred like love feeds on the merest trifles. Everything adds to it. Just as the being we love can do no wrong, so the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/hatred-like-love-feeds-on-the-merest-trifles-everything-adds-to-it/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [All human power is a compound of time and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-human-power-is-a-compound-of-time-and-patience/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) [Explore all 793 Honore de Balzac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) ## More Equality quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Nothing says the party is over more than when you run out of ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rande-gerber/nothing-says-the-party-is-over-more-than-when-you-run-out-of-ice/) [Rande Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rande-gerber/) > [I hope that we always have diversity, that we have equality and representation every step of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/i-hope-that-we-always-have-diversity-that-we-have-equality-and/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) > [“Unless man is commited to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labours in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton-powell/unless-man-is-commited-to-the-belief-that-all-mankind-are-his/) Adam Clayton Powell > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) > [ \[Fighting for equality for women\] that's what my mission has been for the last years. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/fighting-for-equality-for-women-that-s-what-my-mission-has-been-for/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-restore-power-to-the-family-to-the-neighborhood-and-the/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [When we speak about equality, you want to be playing on the best pitches with the best facilities. You want to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/when-we-speak-about-equality-you-want-to-be-playing-on-the-best/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [Free milk will be provided in Hoxton and Shoredith, in Eton and Harrow. What more social equality can you have than that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-wilkinson/free-milk-will-be-provided-in-hoxton-and-shoredith-in-eton-and-harrow/) [Ellen Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-wilkinson/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I will always support legislation which respects and values life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gresham-barrett/i-will-always-support-legislation-which-respects-and-values-life/) [Gresham Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gresham-barrett/) > [Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/sporting-events-like-the-olympics-have-developed-and-maintained-a/) [Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Browse all 3,799 Equality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Honore de Balzac" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-power-can-install-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Equality" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-power-can-install-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/honor-de-balzac-197_equality_equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-pow_1257614.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Equality may be the law, but no human power can install it.” — Honore de Balzac", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Honore de Balzac", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Equality may be the law, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-power-can-install-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/equality-may-be-the-law-but-no-human-power-can-install-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```