--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are egalitarian by nature, and…" description: "\"“People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies can never function well due to resentment and dissatisfaction. But”\" — Yuval Noah Harari" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d5/yuval-noah-harari-100_nature_people-are-egalitarian-by-nature-and-une_1684756.jpg" --- # People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies… ![“People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies can never function well due to resentment and dissatisfaction. But” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d5/yuval-noah-harari-100_nature_people-are-egalitarian-by-nature-and-une_1684756.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d5/yuval-noah-harari-100_nature_people-are-egalitarian-by-nature-and-une_1684756.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d5/yuval-noah-harari-100_nature_people-are-egalitarian-by-nature-and-une_1684756.jpg) > ““People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies can never function well due to resentment and dissatisfaction. But”” [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. Human beings are naturally egalitarian, but unequal societies breed resentment and dysfunction. **In simple terms:** Egalitarian nature clashes with unequal societies. Key Takeaway Promote equitable social structures. Themes equality society politics human nature ethics Mood analytical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - Policy reform - Community building - Education programs - Economic planning Key Concepts Social contract theory Inequality studies Collective welfare Questions to Reflect On - What policies best reduce societal resentment? - How does inequality affect long‑term stability? A Different Perspective Implementing equality can face entrenched power interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Egalitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egalitarian/) [Egalitarian Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egalitarian-nature-994894/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Unequal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-unequal-994896/) [People Egalitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-egalitarian-494650/) [Unequal Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unequal-societies-994892/) ## Related quotes > [I think, in terms of corporate philosophy, I've always believed that you've got to treat people in a very very egalitarian manner in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-mazumdar-shaw/i-think-in-terms-of-corporate-philosophy-i-ve-always-believed-that/) [Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-mazumdar-shaw/) > [Men are made by nature unequal. It is vain, therefore, to treat them as if they were equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/men-are-made-by-nature-unequal-it-is-vain-therefore-to-treat-them-as/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [“people living in unequal societies spend more time worrying about how others see them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/people-living-in-unequal-societies-spend-more-time-worrying-about-how/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Envy lies between two beings equal in nature though unequal in circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-collier/envy-lies-between-two-beings-equal-in-nature-though-unequal-in/) [Jeremy Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-collier/) > [Highly unequal societies are morally defective because they get to be that way through the exploitation by the clever and well-positioned ones of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/highly-unequal-societies-are-morally-defective-because-they-get-to-be/) [Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/) > [The whole reason why we have this kind of assembly line model of education that we inherited from the Prussians, is they were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/the-whole-reason-why-we-have-this-kind-of-assembly-line-model-of/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [ The \[classical\] liberal, of course, does not deny that there are some superior people -- he is not an egalitarian -- but he denies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-classical-liberal-of-course-does-not-deny-that-there-are-some/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Egalitarian policies are the best way to unite and empower people, and are also a necessary counterweight to the sometimes detrimental influence of market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/egalitarian-policies-are-the-best-way-to-unite-and-empower-people-and/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [We are a democratic, egalitarian people who spend our days desperately trying to climb over each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-a-democratic-egalitarian-people-who-spend-our-days-desperately/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“the egalitarian lifestyles of hunter-gatherers exist because the individuals care a lot about status. Individuals in these societies end up roughly equal because everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-egalitarian-lifestyles-of-hunter-gatherers-exist-because-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Money is the most egalitarian force in society. It confers power on whoever holds it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-starr/money-is-the-most-egalitarian-force-in-society-it-confers-power-on/) [Roger Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-starr/) > [Like many works of literature, Hollywood chooses for its villains people who strive for social dominance through the pursuit of wealth, prestige, and power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/like-many-works-of-literature-hollywood-chooses-for-its-villains/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [“The graduated tax is a confiscatory tax. Its effect, and to a large extent its aim, is to bring down all men to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-m-goldwater/the-graduated-tax-is-a-confiscatory-tax-its-effect-and-to-a-large/) [Barry M. Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-m-goldwater/) > [“I do believe that the emphasis on egalitarian and respectful sex—purged of any expressions of power, aggression, and transgression—is antithetical to erotic desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-do-believe-that-the-emphasis-on-egalitarian-and-respectful-sex/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [For capitalism flourishes best in a mobile and egalitarian society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-capitalism-flourishes-best-in-a-mobile-and-egalitarian-society/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) ## More by Yuval Noah Harari > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) [Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More Egalitarian quotes > [For capitalism flourishes best in a mobile and egalitarian society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-capitalism-flourishes-best-in-a-mobile-and-egalitarian-society/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“I do believe that the emphasis on egalitarian and respectful sex—purged of any expressions of power, aggression, and transgression—is antithetical to erotic desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-do-believe-that-the-emphasis-on-egalitarian-and-respectful-sex/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [“The graduated tax is a confiscatory tax. Its effect, and to a large extent its aim, is to bring down all men to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-m-goldwater/the-graduated-tax-is-a-confiscatory-tax-its-effect-and-to-a-large/) [Barry M. Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-m-goldwater/) > [Like many works of literature, Hollywood chooses for its villains people who strive for social dominance through the pursuit of wealth, prestige, and power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/like-many-works-of-literature-hollywood-chooses-for-its-villains/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [Money is the most egalitarian force in society. It confers power on whoever holds it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-starr/money-is-the-most-egalitarian-force-in-society-it-confers-power-on/) [Roger Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-starr/) > [“the egalitarian lifestyles of hunter-gatherers exist because the individuals care a lot about status. Individuals in these societies end up roughly equal because everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-egalitarian-lifestyles-of-hunter-gatherers-exist-because-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [We are a democratic, egalitarian people who spend our days desperately trying to climb over each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-a-democratic-egalitarian-people-who-spend-our-days-desperately/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Egalitarian policies are the best way to unite and empower people, and are also a necessary counterweight to the sometimes detrimental influence of market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/egalitarian-policies-are-the-best-way-to-unite-and-empower-people-and/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [“Egalitarian societies strangle the imagination without even satisfying envy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/egalitarian-societies-strangle-the-imagination-without-even/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [Scratch an egalitarian, and you will inevitably find a statist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scratch-an-egalitarian-and-you-will-inevitably-find-a-statist/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The egalitarian passion is a perversion of the critical sense: atrophy of the faculty of discrimination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-egalitarian-passion-is-a-perversion-of-the-critical-sense-atrophy/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [The egalitarian doctrine is manifestly contrary to all the facts established by biology and by history. Only fanatical partisans of this theory can contend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-egalitarian-doctrine-is-manifestly-contrary-to-all-the-facts/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Islam is in principle egalitarian, and has always had problems with power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-douglas/islam-is-in-principle-egalitarian-and-has-always-had-problems-with/) [Mary Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-douglas/) > [Particularly during the late 1960s, a large number of American skyjackers earnestly believed that Fidel Castro's Cuba was an egalitarian, post-racial utopia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-i-koerner/particularly-during-the-late-1960s-a-large-number-of-american/) [Brendan I. Koerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-i-koerner/) > [On the surface, public schools can seem egalitarian, especially with their websites' emphasis on words such as 'connection,' 'community,' and 'choice.' Yet despite this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-quart/on-the-surface-public-schools-can-seem-egalitarian-especially-with/) [Alissa Quart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-quart/) [Browse all 57 Egalitarian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egalitarian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies can never function well due to resentment and dissatisfaction. 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