--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For thousands of years, humans believed…" description: "\"For thousands of years, humans believed that authority came from the gods. Then, during the modern era, humanism gradually shifted authority from deiti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/yuval-noah-harari-100_authority_for-thousands-of-years-humans-believed-t_1217067.jpg" --- # For thousands of years, humans believed that authority… ![“For thousands of years, humans believed that authority came from the gods. Then, during the modern era, humanism gradually shifted authority from deities to people.” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/yuval-noah-harari-100_authority_for-thousands-of-years-humans-believed-t_1217067.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/yuval-noah-harari-100_authority_for-thousands-of-years-humans-believed-t_1217067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/yuval-noah-harari-100_authority_for-thousands-of-years-humans-believed-t_1217067.jpg) > “For thousands of years, humans believed that authority came from the gods. Then, during the modern era, humanism gradually shifted authority from deities to people.” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority shifted from divine to human constructs, reflecting humanity's capacity to define its own values. **In simple terms:** Authority moved from gods to people. Key Takeaway Question inherited power structures. Themes humanism authority secularism Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - political activism - education reform Key Concepts social contracts cultural evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize legitimate authority? - What role should individuals play in shaping norms? A Different Perspective Human authority can still be influenced by lingering myths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-came-1239535/) [Authority Deities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-deities-3713454/) [Deities People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deities-people-3713455/) [Era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/era/) [Era Humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/era-humanism-3713453/) [Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods/) [Humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanism/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-era/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [The era of humanism is over. Advanced people experience the era of post-humanism. 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