Adam Smith Quotes

“Adventure upon all the tickets in the lottery, and you lose for certain; and the greater the number of your tickets the nearer your approach to this certainty.”

“I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.”

“He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.”

“By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.”

“The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour seems to have been the effects of the division of labour.”

“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”

“Every man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, conveniences, and amusements of human life.”

“What improves the circumstances of the greater part can never be regarded as an inconveniency to the whole.”

“The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable.”

“It is the highest impertinence and presumption in kings and ministers to pretend to watch over the economy of private people.”

“There is no art which one government sooner learns of another than that of draining money from the pockets of the people.”

“The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities.”

“The difference of natural talents in different men is, in reality, much less than we are aware of.”

“The education of the common people requires, perhaps, in a civilized and commercial society, the attention of the public more than that of people of some rank and fortune.”

“For a very small expense the public can facilitate, can encourage, and can even impose upon almost the whole body of the people, the necessity of acquiring those most essential parts of education.”

“Man naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely.”

“Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.”

“Kindness is the parent of kindness.”

“The most sublime speculation of the contemplative philosopher can scarce compensate the neglect of the smallest active duty.”

“Resentment seems to have been given us by nature for defence, and for defence only. It is the safeguard of justice and the security of innocence.”

“Nature, when she formed man for society, endowed him with an original desire to please, and an original aversion to offend his brethren.”

“Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality.”

“The understandings of the greater part of men are necessarily formed by their ordinary employments.”

“Fear is in almost all cases a wretched instrument of government.”

“Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument of ambition.”