The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury.

The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury.

Economics is first and foremost about the thoughts leading up to choice.

Economics is first and foremost about the thoughts leading up to choice.

In all recorded history there has not been one economist who has had to worry about where the next meal read more

In all recorded history there has not been one economist who has had to worry about where the next meal would come from.

Don't try to buy at the bottom and sell at the top. It can't be done except by liars.

Don't try to buy at the bottom and sell at the top. It can't be done except by liars.

What matters is not the allocation of portions out of a fund presented to man by nature. The problem is read more

What matters is not the allocation of portions out of a fund presented to man by nature. The problem is rather to further those social institutions which enable people to continue and to enlarge the production of all those things which they need.

Our whole evolution up to this point shows that human groups spontaneously evolve patterns of behavior, as well as patterns read more

Our whole evolution up to this point shows that human groups spontaneously evolve patterns of behavior, as well as patterns of training people for that behavior, which tend on balance to lead people to create rather than destroy. Humans are, on net balance, builders rather than destroyers.

Capitalism needs to function like a game of tug-of-war. Two opposing sides need to continually struggle for dominance, but at read more

Capitalism needs to function like a game of tug-of-war. Two opposing sides need to continually struggle for dominance, but at no time can either side be permitted to walk away with the rope.

Value is not intrinsic; it is not in things. It is within us; it is the way in which man read more

Value is not intrinsic; it is not in things. It is within us; it is the way in which man reacts to the conditions of his environment.

Not understanding the process of a spontaneously-ordered economy goes hand-in-hand with not understanding the creation of resources and wealth. And read more

Not understanding the process of a spontaneously-ordered economy goes hand-in-hand with not understanding the creation of resources and wealth. And when a person does not understand the creation of resources and wealth, the only intellectual alternative is to believe that increasing wealth must be at the cost of someone else. This belief that our good fortune must be an exploitation of others may be the taproot of false prophecy about doom that our evil ways must bring upon us.