--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So far as laws and institutions avail…" description: "\"So far as laws and institutions avail, men should have equality of opportunity for happiness; that is, of education, wealth, power. These make happines..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/rutherford-b-hayes-3486_diffusion_so-far-as-laws-and-institutions-avail-me_2173750.jpg" --- # So far as laws and institutions avail, men should have… ![“So far as laws and institutions avail, men should have equality of opportunity for happiness; that is, of education, wealth, power. These make happiness secure. An equal diffusion of happiness so far as laws and institutions avail.” quote by Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/rutherford-b-hayes-3486_diffusion_so-far-as-laws-and-institutions-avail-me_2173750.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/rutherford-b-hayes-3486_diffusion_so-far-as-laws-and-institutions-avail-me_2173750.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/rutherford-b-hayes-3486_diffusion_so-far-as-laws-and-institutions-avail-me_2173750.jpg) > “So far as laws and institutions avail, men should have equality of opportunity for happiness; that is, of education, wealth, power. These make happiness secure. An equal diffusion of happiness so far as laws and institutions avail.” [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Equality of opportunity in education, wealth, and power is essential for secure happiness. **In simple terms:** Equal chances lead to secure happiness. Key Takeaway Promote fair access to resources. Themes equality opportunity happiness justice Mood optimistic serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - Education reform - economic development - political representation - social welfare programs Key Concepts Social contract tributive justice public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure equal opportunity for all? - What barriers exist to equal access? A Different Perspective Implementation may be hindered by entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diffusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diffusion/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Equality of opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality-of-opportunity/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [What a miserable life is this! There is no happiness that is secure and nothing that does not change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/what-a-miserable-life-is-this-there-is-no-happiness-that-is-secure/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [As long as the factories are in the hands of the whites, the housing is in the hands of the whites, the school system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/as-long-as-the-factories-are-in-the-hands-of-the-whites-the-housing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Practical equality of opportunity for all citizens, when we achieve it, will have two great results. First, every man will have a fair chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/practical-equality-of-opportunity-for-all-citizens-when-we-achieve-it/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Equality of opportunity is the essence of social justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-honore/equality-of-opportunity-is-the-essence-of-social-justice/) Tony Honore > [One thing that is clearly not maximized by free markets is equality. I am talking not about that pale substitute for equality known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/one-thing-that-is-clearly-not-maximized-by-free-markets-is-equality-i/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Equality of economic opportunity, in the context of private property, means equality of opportunity for the millions of capital-less households of today to buy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/equality-of-economic-opportunity-in-the-context-of-private-property/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [“The equality in political, industrial and social life which modern men must have in order to live, is not to be confounded with sameness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-equality-in-political-industrial-and-social-life-which-modern-men/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Conservatives often say that we should care not about equality of outcomes but about equality of opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/conservatives-often-say-that-we-should-care-not-about-equality-of/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Equality of opportunity is meaningless for those who do not have the capabilities to take advantage of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/equality-of-opportunity-is-meaningless-for-those-who-do-not-have-the/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [But there is no equality of opportunity under existing laws and customs. In the race for wealth, which the economist seems as unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-k-ingalls/but-there-is-no-equality-of-opportunity-under-existing-laws-and/) [Joshua K. 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Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [ My father and mother in 1817 were forty-nine days on the road with their emigrant wagons \[from Vermont\] to Ohio. More than two days… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/my-father-and-mother-in-1817-were-forty-nine-days-on-the-road-with/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/unjust-attacks-on-public-men-do-them-more-good-than-unmerited-praise/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Nobody ever left the presidency with less regret, less disappointment, fewer heart burnings, or any general content with the result of his term (in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nobody-ever-left-the-presidency-with-less-regret-less-disappointment/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [If a liberal policy towards the late Rebels is adopted, the ultra Republicans are opposed to it; if the colored people are honored, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/if-a-liberal-policy-towards-the-late-rebels-is-adopted-the-ultra/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Disunion and civil war are at hand; and yet I fear disunion and war less than compromise. We can recover from them. The free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/disunion-and-civil-war-are-at-hand-and-yet-i-fear-disunion-and-war/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [The best religion the world has ever known is the religion of the Bible. It builds up all that is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/the-best-religion-the-world-has-ever-known-is-the-religion-of-the/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [There is a great deal of strength in Garfield's life and struggles as a self-made man… From poverty and obscurity, by labor at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/there-is-a-great-deal-of-strength-in-garfield-s-life-and-struggles-as/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) [Explore all 129 Rutherford B. Hayes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) ## More Diffusion quotes > [There are reasons for believing that the English increase will far surpass others, and that the diffusion of the United States will ultimately produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/there-are-reasons-for-believing-that-the-english-increase-will-far/) [Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/) > [Safe popular freedom consists of four things, the diffusion of liberty, of intelligence, of property, and of conscientiousness, and cannot be compounded of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-cook/safe-popular-freedom-consists-of-four-things-the-diffusion-of-liberty/) [Joseph Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-cook/) > [The logic of all this seems to be that it is all right for young people in a democracy to learn about any civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-l-becker/the-logic-of-all-this-seems-to-be-that-it-is-all-right-for-young/) [Carl L. Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-l-becker/) > [The diffusion of taste is not the same thing as the improvement of taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-diffusion-of-taste-is-not-the-same-thing-as-the-improvement-of/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [It is hard to tell which is worse; the wide diffusion of things that are not true, or the suppression of things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-martineau/it-is-hard-to-tell-which-is-worse-the-wide-diffusion-of-things-that/) [Harriet Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-martineau/) > [Mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human ends are ultimately answered; and the diffusion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/mind-is-the-great-lever-of-all-things-human-thought-is-the-process-by/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [In the late 60s, 70s and possibly early 80s, social scientists were interested in researching the diffusion of innovation and studying the link between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-simmons/in-the-late-60s-70s-and-possibly-early-80s-social-scientists-were/) [Ruth Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-simmons/) > [Conventions of generality and mathematical elegance may be just as much barriers to the attainment and diffusion of knowledge as may contentment with particularity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/conventions-of-generality-and-mathematical-elegance-may-be-just-as/) [Kenneth E. 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There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-barrios/on-the-light-side-everyone-thinks-they-are-the-most-important-that/) [Carlos Barrios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-barrios/) [Browse all 72 Diffusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diffusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So far as laws and institutions avail, men should have equality of opportunity for happiness; that is, of education, wealth, power. These make happiness secure. An equal diffusion of happiness so far as laws and institutions avail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rutherford B. 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