--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is an existential threat to the…" description: "\"“This is an existential threat to the social and economic order, which is why countries wage a stubborn, bloody and hopeless war on biochemical crime. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg" --- # This is an existential threat to the social and economic… ![“This is an existential threat to the social and economic order, which is why countries wage a stubborn, bloody and hopeless war on biochemical crime. The state hopes to regulate the biochemical pursuit of happiness, separating ‘bad’ manipulations from ‘good’ ones. The principle is clear…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg) > ““This is an existential threat to the social and economic order, which is why countries wage a stubborn, bloody and hopeless war on biochemical crime. The state hopes to regulate the biochemical pursuit of happiness, separating ‘bad’ manipulations from ‘good’ ones. The principle is clear: biochemical manipulations that strengthen political stability, social order and economic growth are allowed and even encouraged (e.g., those that calm hyperactive kids in school, or drive anxious soldiers forward into battle). Manipulations that threaten stability and growth are banned. But each year new drugs are born in the research labs of universities, pharmaceutical companies and criminal organisations, and the needs of the state and the market also keep changing.”” [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. The quote warns that governments may permit drug use that supports stability while banning those that threaten it, creating a double standard in regulating mind‑altering substances. **In simple terms:** State may allow drugs that help control people but ban those that could disrupt power. Key Takeaway Question how power shapes drug policy. Themes ethics politics science control freedom Mood cautious critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - pharmaceutical research - civil liberties - public health Key Concepts biochemistry social engineering regulation Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards could prevent abuse of such policies? - Who decides which manipulations are “good”? A Different Perspective The claim assumes all regulation is purely political, ignoring genuine safety concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economic growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-growth/) [Kids In School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-in-school/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [When you put more than a million kids in school, you take a plane today and go to Haiti, you cannot see the results.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martelly/when-you-put-more-than-a-million-kids-in-school-you-take-a-plane/) [Michel Martelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martelly/) > [I used to live with my grandmother. I used to wonder why the other kids in school went home with their mothers and fathers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/i-used-to-live-with-my-grandmother-i-used-to-wonder-why-the-other/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [I never wanted to be a wild kid. I respected my parents and I had great friends. I was lucky. We did a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-wild-kid-i-respected-my-parents-and-i-had/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [I work out every day. It's part of my life. That's one of the benefits of having kids in school full-time. I do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/i-work-out-every-day-it-s-part-of-my-life-that-s-one-of-the-benefits/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) > [When you're accustomed to wealth, you don't show it, right? That's why the white kids in school could wear bummy sneakers; it's almost like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/when-you-re-accustomed-to-wealth-you-don-t-show-it-right-that-s-why/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [School feeding is a great tool to encourage education and provide food aid to children born into extremely impoverished situations. The kids in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bush/school-feeding-is-a-great-tool-to-encourage-education-and-provide/) [Lauren Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bush/) > [With families, your priorities shift. You're not going to be like, 'Let's go out on tour year-round.' I have kids in school. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-lachey/with-families-your-priorities-shift-you-re-not-going-to-be-like-let-s/) [Drew Lachey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-lachey/) > [Evanescence fans aren't the popular kids in school. They aren't the cheerleaders. It's the art kids and the nerds and the kids who grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lee/evanescence-fans-aren-t-the-popular-kids-in-school-they-aren-t-the/) [Amy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lee/) > [Everybody who comes from the gangster life - they want what that man in the suburbs wants. Nice family. Nice house. Nice cars. Bills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/everybody-who-comes-from-the-gangster-life-they-want-what-that-man-in/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [My message to the world is that until we recognize that peace is not just the absence of war but the revival of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/my-message-to-the-world-is-that-until-we-recognize-that-peace-is-not/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [I was a completely normal kid, the school nerd. In Year 8 and 9 I got picked on. I was a freak- no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/i-was-a-completely-normal-kid-the-school-nerd-in-year-8-and-9-i-got/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [My wife and I sold our house New York and moved to Australia for a year; then we came back and spent almost three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/my-wife-and-i-sold-our-house-new-york-and-moved-to-australia-for-a/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [That's the great things about games as social experiences. You play with all your friends across social groups. You see young girls as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sweeney/that-s-the-great-things-about-games-as-social-experiences-you-play/) [Tim Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sweeney/) > [We can all get behind feeding the poorest kids in school, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moser/we-can-all-get-behind-feeding-the-poorest-kids-in-school-right/) [Laura Moser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moser/) > [Home economics - kids in school used to be taught how to shop, how to cook from scratch, how to be in control of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/home-economics-kids-in-school-used-to-be-taught-how-to-shop-how-to/) [Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/) ## 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 Economic growth quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [“Economic growth continued by means of a succession of new products which found growing and ultimately massive demand. Some of the new products were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-a-hudson/economic-growth-continued-by-means-of-a-succession-of-new-products/) [Edward A. Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-a-hudson/) > [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/) [Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/) > [In short, both experience and economic theory imply that the US could now t to a more competitive dollar without experiencing either increased inflation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-feldstein/in-short-both-experience-and-economic-theory-imply-that-the-us-could/) [Martin Feldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-feldstein/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [“Since the 1960s, the national “average” of U.S. students on international tests has been middling to poor at best. Yet, the nation experienced unprecedented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/since-the-1960s-the-national-average-of-u-s-students-on-international/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [Economic growth and 'future superpower' status is all very good but that doesn't guarantee dignity for every individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/economic-growth-and-future-superpower-status-is-all-very-good-but/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [Education affects every major challenge we face in society. It creates economic growth, paves the way for peace and stability and helps erase the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/education-affects-every-major-challenge-we-face-in-society-it-creates/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Increased spending, growing government debt and overreaching regulations are stifling job creation and economic growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/increased-spending-growing-government-debt-and-overreaching/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Following one of the most violent conflicts in human history, the United States and Japan built a deep and abiding friendship - an alliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/following-one-of-the-most-violent-conflicts-in-human-history-the/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Economic growth is our North Star. Anyone who suggests we can just cut our way to prosperity isn't being honest. Anyone who suggests we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/economic-growth-is-our-north-star-anyone-who-suggests-we-can-just-cut/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“The English state thus constructed a system, later followed by other European countries, in which the ruler was subject to the law and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wade/the-english-state-thus-constructed-a-system-later-followed-by-other/) [Nicholas Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wade/) > [Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone to African development and the key to local value creation in Africa. I am determined to ensure that Africa's next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/entrepreneurship-is-the-cornerstone-to-african-development-and-the/) Tony Elumelu > [Does inequality in the distribution of income increase or decrease in the course of a country's economic growth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuznets/does-inequality-in-the-distribution-of-income-increase-or-decrease-in/) [Simon Kuznets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuznets/) [Browse all 732 Economic growth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-growth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is an existential threat to the social and economic order, which is why countries wage a stubborn, bloody and hopeless war on biochemical crime. The state hopes to regulate the biochemical pursuit of happiness, separating ‘bad’ manipulations from ‘good’ ones. The principle is clear: biochemical manipulations that strengthen political stability, social order and economic growth are allowed and even encouraged (e.g., those that calm hyperactive kids in school, or drive anxious soldiers forward into battle). Manipulations that threaten stability and growth are banned. But each year new drugs are born in the research labs of universities, pharmaceutical companies and criminal organisations, and the needs of the state and the market also keep changing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yuval Noah Harari" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-social-and-economic-order-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Economic growth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-social-and-economic-order-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ead/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-soc_1859547.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is an existential threat to the social and economic order, which is why countries wage a stubborn…” — Yuval Noah Harari", "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": "Yuval Noah Harari", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This is an existential threat to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-social-and-economic-order-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/this-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-social-and-economic-order-which/#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 } } ] } ```