--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet over the last few decades the tables…" description: "\"“Yet over the last few decades the tables have turned, and Bentham’s vision has been taken far more seriously. People increasingly believe that the imm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/yuval-noah-harari-100_happiness_yet-over-the-last-few-decades-the-tables_1126254.jpg" --- # Yet over the last few decades the tables have turned, and… ![“Yet over the last few decades the tables have turned, and Bentham’s vision has been taken far more seriously. People increasingly believe that the immense systems established more than a century ago to strengthen the nation should actually serve the happiness and well-being of individual citizens…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/yuval-noah-harari-100_happiness_yet-over-the-last-few-decades-the-tables_1126254.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/yuval-noah-harari-100_happiness_yet-over-the-last-few-decades-the-tables_1126254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/yuval-noah-harari-100_happiness_yet-over-the-last-few-decades-the-tables_1126254.jpg) > ““Yet over the last few decades the tables have turned, and Bentham’s vision has been taken far more seriously. People increasingly believe that the immense systems established more than a century ago to strengthen the nation should actually serve the happiness and well-being of individual citizens. We are not here to serve the state – it is here to serve us. The right to the pursuit of happiness, originally envisaged as a restraint on state power, has imperceptibly morphed into the right to happiness –”” [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 argues that modern societies are shifting from state‑centric utility to individual happiness, turning Bentham’s principle of limiting state power into a broader right to personal well‑being. **In simple terms:** Society now prioritizes individual happiness over state goals. Key Takeaway Focus on policies that empower personal fulfillment. Themes individual rights state power utilitarianism happiness Mood reflective critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - public policy - social welfare - urban planning - healthcare reform Key Concepts social contract liberalism well‑being Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance individual happiness with communal duties? - What safeguards prevent excess individualism? A Different Perspective The shift may overlook collective responsibilities and social cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [Women want to serve, and this is where their happiness lies: but the free spirit does not want to be served, and this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/women-want-to-serve-and-this-is-where-their-happiness-lies-but-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [What we really want to do is serve happiness. 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