Quotes by Economists

In a world where everyone is behaving honestly, any dishonesty constitutes a big infraction. But, in a world where many people are behaving dishonestly, and the news is filled with stories of their infractions, even big infractions can feel small to the perpetrator. Dan Ariely

News People World Big Honestly Everyone Small Feel Perpetrator Behaving Any Where Stories Dishonesty Many Even Filled

The herd instinct among forecasters makes sheep look like independent thinkers. Edgar Fiedler

Business Sheep Herd Independent Instinct Like Look Makes Among Thinkers

It seems to me that socialists today can preserve their position in academic economics merely by the pretense that the differences are entirely moral questions about which science cannot decide. Friedrich August von Hayek

Our moral traditions developed concurrently with our reason, not as its product. Friedrich August von Hayek

Our Moral Developed Traditions Product Reason

One finds limits by pushing them. Herbert A. Simon

Motivational Finds Pushing Limits Them

There never is a good time for tough decisions. There will always be an election or something else. You have to pick courage and do it. Governance is about taking tough, even unpopular, decisions. Jairam Ramesh

Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything. John Kenneth Galbraith

You Business Meetings Indispensable Want Anything

Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory. John Kenneth Galbraith

Politics Memory Nothing Admirable Short Short Memory

I do not know which makes a man more conservative - to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past. John Maynard Keynes

Man Conservative Past Nothing More Know Makes Which Present

Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assaults of thoughts on the unthinking. John Maynard Keynes

Thoughts Words Wild Ought Little

Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation. Milton Friedman

Inflation Without Imposed Legislation Form Taxation

History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition. Milton Friedman

Freedom History Capitalism Political Clearly Condition Political Freedom Sufficient Necessary

Debt is one person's liability, but another person's asset. Paul Krugman

Another Debt Person Asset Liability

God wants us to show compassion and understanding toward the unemployed or the poor not because they are poor, but because poor people, with help from those who are already successful, can become rich. And when the poor become rich, all will benefit, because in our modern economy new unemployment is the first sign of economic growth. Paul Zane Pilzer

God People Compassion Will First Become Understanding Rich Benefit Our Those Sign Economic Economic Growth Toward New Economy Because Unemployed Unemployment Modern Wants Poor Poor People Us Successful Show Help Who Growth

Social Security may be the most beloved of all the government's programs, partly because it requires so little thinking. You pay taxes while you work, then you and your spouse collect until you die. Richard Thaler

Work Government You Pay Thinking Programs Collect Security Most Until Partly Because Spouse Die May While Little Social Taxes Then Requires Your Social Security Beloved

In ancient times they had no statistics so they had to fall back on lies. Stephen Leacock

Fall Back Ancient Ancient Times Statistics Lies Had Times

Men are able to trust one another, knowing the exact degree of dishonesty they are entitled to expect. Stephen Leacock

Trust Degree Men Entitled Exact Able Knowing Another Expect Dishonesty

The real minimum wage is zero. Thomas Sowell

Minimum Minimum Wage Real Wage Zero