2214 quotes by economists for you to enjoy

It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. Thomas Sowell

People Dangerous Stupid Pay Way Those More Price Wrong Putting Making Making Decisions Than Hands Being Decisions Hard Who Imagine

If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago and a racist today. Thomas Sowell

Today Politics You Radical Liberal Everyone Rules Would Judged Always Gotten Years Years Ago Labeled Same Should Standards Believed Play

Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it. Thomas Sowell

Failure Socialism Record General Only Could Blatant Intellectual Ignore

If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly. Thomas Sowell

News Business People Important Propaganda More Understand Sources Accordingly Reporting Difference Decide Cannot Whether Public Choose Manufacturing Media

We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork. Milton Friedman

Work Increasingly System Taxes

The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling. Thomas Sowell

Problem Feeling Think Thinking Johnny He Know Read Confuses Even

The black family survived centuries of slavery and generations of Jim Crow, but it has disintegrated in the wake of the liberals' expansion of the welfare state. Thomas Sowell

Family Welfare Black State Jim Jim Crow Liberals Black Family Crow Generations Welfare State Wake Expansion Survived Disintegrated Centuries Slavery

When government - in pursuit of good intentions - tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player. Milton Friedman

Government Good Freedom Active Good Intentions Tries Cost Morality Pursuit Come Economy Inefficiency Motivation Referee Loss Legislate Lack Intentions Interests Should Rearrange Help Special Special Interests Player

It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it. Thomas Sowell

Government Health People Amazing Doctors Pay Think We Cannot Administer Somehow Hospitals Afford Bureaucracy Cannot Who Medication

Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunities - to learn new things, to rethink tired processes, and to improve the way we work. Klaus Schwab

Work Tired Change Opportunities New Things Way Temptation Rethink Almost New Learn Always Provides Frightening Improve Often Processes Things Resist

Would you bet your paycheck on a weather forecast for tomorrow? If not, then why should this country bet billions on global warming predictions that have even less foundation? Thomas Sowell

The old adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish has been updated by a reader: Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his 'basic rights.' Thomas Sowell

Man Vote Rights Old Will Giving Politician Has-Been Some About Give Moreover He French French Fries Him Reader How Fish Been His Versus Fries Updated Wants Old Adage Declare Ask Teaching Who Among Basic Things Sauce Adage Basic Rights

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. John Maynard Keynes

Good Capitalism Will Men Everyone Astounding Most Greatest Belief Things

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. E. F. Schumacher

Fool Courage Genius Complex Touch Direction More Takes Make Opposite Opposite Direction Lot Intelligent Any Move Bigger Things

The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive. Thomas Sowell

Work Political Find About Fact Concentrated Ideas Institutions Most Surprised Left Survive Where Order To Survive Should Therefore Fundamental

Life in general has never been even close to fair, so the pretense that the government can make it fair is a valuable and inexhaustible asset to politicians who want to expand government. Thomas Sowell

Life Government Valuable Politicians Pretense General Never Fair Make Inexhaustible Been Expand Close Want Who Even Asset

Finance is not merely about making money. It's about achieving our deep goals and protecting the fruits of our labor. It's about stewardship and, therefore, about achieving the good society. Robert J. Shiller

Finance Good Money Goals Society Our About Merely Protecting Stewardship Making Making Money Labor Achieving Fruits Deep Therefore

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. Adam Smith

Business Dinner Own Our Benevolence Baker Expect Regard Interest Butcher

The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations. Adam Smith

Poverty Real Tragedy Poor Aspirations

Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty. Thomas Sowell

More Since Talk Talkers Doers Than Articulate Specialty

Quotes by Economists