On the Wealth of Nations (17 page)

In a free trade an effectual combination cannot be established but by the unanimous consent of every single trader, and it cannot last longer than every single trader continues of the same mind.

–
Wealth
, book 1
³⁰

Hate Crimes, Prosecution for

Sentiments, thoughts, intentions, would become the objects of punishment … Every court of judicature would become a real inquisition. There would be no safety for the most innocent and circumspect conduct. Bad wishes, bad views, bad designs, might still be suspected.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 2
³¹

Hilton, Paris, the Numerous Feuds of, Explained

Rivalship and emulation render excellency, even in mean professions, an object of ambition, and frequently occasion the very greatest exertions.

–
Wealth
, book 5
³²

Homeless, an Alternative View on the

The beggar, who suns himself by the side of the highway, possesses that security which kings are fighting for.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 4
³³

Husbands

It is the interest of every man to live as much at his ease as he can; and if his emoluments are to be precisely the same, whether he does, or does not perform some very laborious duty, it is certainly his interest … either to neglect it altogether, or, if he is subject to some authority which will not suffer him to do this, to perform it in as careless and slovenly a manner as that authority will permit.

–
Wealth
, book 5
³⁴

Husbands, Continued

To seem not to be affected with the joy of our companions is but want of politeness; but not to wear a serious countenance when they tell us their afflictions, is a real and gross inhumanity.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 1
³⁵

Immigration, Excessive Worries about

A man is of all sorts of luggage the most difficult to be transported.

–
Wealth
, book 1
³⁶

Interior Decoration, Novel Suggestion for

Trophies of the instruments of music or of agriculture, imitated in painting or in stucco, make a common and an agreeable ornament of our halls and dining-rooms. A trophy of the same kind, composed of the instruments of surgery, of dissecting and amputation-knives, of saws for cutting bones, … etc. would be absurd and shocking.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 1
³⁷

Italy

Italy still continues to command some sort of veneration by the number of monuments which it possesses, though the wealth which produced them has decayed, and though the genius which planned them seems to be extinguished.

–
Wealth
, book 2
³⁸

Limousine Liberals, Explanation for

The owners of great capitals … have generally either some direct share, or some indirect influence, in the administration of government. For the sake of the respect and authority which they derive from this situation, they are willing to live in a country where their capital … will bring them less profit.

–
Wealth
, book 5
³⁹

Limousine Liberals, Real Explanation for

In public, as well as in private expences, great wealth may, perhaps, frequently be admitted as an apology for great folly.

–
Wealth,
book 4
⁴⁰

Living Standards, Modern

The accommodation of a European prince does not always so much exceed that of an industrious and frugal peasant, as the accommodation of the latter exceeds that of many an African king, the absolute master of the lives and liberties of ten thousand naked savages.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁴¹

Malthus, Thomas, Refuted

The most decisive mark of the prosperity of any country is the increase of the number of its inhabitants.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁴²

Malthus, Thomas, Refuted Again

The demand for men, like that for any other commodity, necessarily regulates the production of men.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁴³

Monarchy or Democracy, Which Is Worse?

England … in time of peace, has generally conducted itself with the slothful and negligent profusion that is perhaps natural to monarchies; and in time of war has constantly acted with all the thoughtless extravagance that democracies are apt to fall into.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁴⁴

Money

Money … is a steady friend.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁴⁵

Money, a Steady Friend When We Can Find Him

When we have money we can more readily obtain whatever else we have occasion for, than by means of any other commodity. The great affair, we always find, is to get money.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁴⁶

Nuclear Proliferation, Bright Side of

Hereafter … the inhabitants of all the different quarters of the world may arrive at that equality of courage and force which, by inspiring mutual fear, can alone overawe the injustice of
independent nations into some sort of respect for the rights of one another.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁴⁷

Off-Broadway Play, Idea for

The loss of a leg may generally be regarded as a more real calamity than the loss of a mistress. It would be a ridiculous tragedy, however, of which the catastrophe was to turn upon a loss of that kind.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 1
⁴⁸

Planning, Central, Nature of in USSR Foreseen

The fear of punishment can never be a motive of sufficient weight to force a continual and careful attention to a business.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁴⁹

Politics, Inherent Evil of Explained

It is unjust that the whole society should contribute towards an expence of which the benefit is confined to a part of the society.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁵⁰

Poor, but Happy

The vices of levity are always ruinous to the common people.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁵¹

Presidents, Ex-

Of all the discarded statesmen who for their own ease have studied to get the better of ambition, and to dispise those
honours which they could no longer arrive at, how few have been able to succeed?

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 1
⁵²

Presidents, Ex-, Continued

With what impatience does the man of spirit and ambition, who is depressed by his situation, look round for some great opportunity to distinguish himself? … He even looks forward with satisfaction to the prospect of foreign war, or civil dissension.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 1
⁵³

Pride and Vanity, in Defense of

Pride is frequently attended with many respectable virtues … Vanity, with many amiable ones.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 6
⁵⁴

Quality, Guarantees of

Quality is so very disputable a matter, that I look upon all information of this kind as somewhat uncertain.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁵⁵

Reagan, Ronald, Original Source of a Phrase Popularly Attributed to

[Re: the East India Company] … waste which the fraud and abuse, inseparable from the management of the affairs of so great a company, must necessarily have occasioned.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁵⁶

Rich, the

With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches, which in their eye is never so complete as when they appear to possess those decisive marks of opulence which nobody can possess but themselves.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁵⁷

Riche, the Nouveau

Their wealth would alone excite the public indignation, and the vanity which almost always accompanies such upstart fortunes, the foolish ostentation with which they commonly display that wealth, excites that indignation still more.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁵⁸

Ruin, National

Be assured, there is a great deal of ruin in a nation.

– Smith, to a young man who'd brought him
the news of the British defeat at Saratoga,
saying the nation must be ruined
⁵⁹

Santa Claus, Why We Tell Children There Is a

There seems to be in young children an instinctive disposition to believe whatever they are told. Nature seems to have judged it necessary for their preservation that they should … put implicit confidence in those to whom the care of their childhood … is entrusted. Their credulity, accordingly, is
excessive, and it requires long and much experience of the falsehood of mankind to reduce them to a reasonable degree of diffidence and distrust.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 7
⁶⁰

Scholars

Before the invention of the art of printing, a scholar and a beggar seem to have been terms very nearly synonymous.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁶¹

Shopping

What is over and above satisfying the limited desire, is given for the amusement of those desires which cannot be satisfied, but seem to be altogether endless.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁶²

Social Security Explained

[In ancient Athens] children were acquitted from maintaining those parents in their old age, who had neglected to instruct them in some profitable trade or business.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁶³

Statistics, Everything You Need to Know about the Government's

I have no great faith in political arithmetic.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁶⁴

Success, Pro and Con

Power and riches … are enormous and operose machines … consisting of springs the most nice and delicate, which must be kept in order with the most anxious attention, and which in spite of all our care are ready every moment to burst into pieces, and to crush in their ruins their unfortunate possessor …

The pleasures of wealth and greatness … strike the imagination as something grand and beautiful and noble, of which the attainment is well worth all the toil and anxiety which we are so apt to bestow upon it. And it is well that nature imposes upon us in this manner. It is this deception which rouses and keeps in continual motion the industry of mankind.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 4
⁶⁵

Televangelists

Mendicant friars, whose beggary being not only licensed, but consecrated by religion, [are] a most grievous tax upon the poor people.

–
Wealth
, book 4
⁶⁶

Televangelists, Success vs. Mainstream Protestant Clergy

Such a clergy, when attacked by a set of popular and bold, though perhaps stupid and ignorant enthusiasts, feel themselves as perfectly defenceless as the indolent, effeminate, and full-fed nations of the southern parts of Asia, when they were invaded by the active, hardy, and hungry Tartars of the North.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁶⁷

Tourists, the Kind Who Come Home Raving about the Excellence of Mass Transportation in Other Countries

In China, … the high roads, and still more the navigable canals, it is pretended, exceed very much every thing of the same kind which is known in Europe. The accounts of those works, however, which have been transmitted to Europe, have generally been drawn up by weak and wondering travellers; frequently by stupid and lying missionaries.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁶⁸

UN

The regard for the laws of nations, or for those rules which independent states profess or pretend to think themselves bound to observe in their dealings with one another, is often very little more than mere pretence and profession.

–
Moral Sentiments
, part 6
⁶⁹

Veracity, Legislative

The printed debates of the House of Commons [are] not always the most authentic records of truth.

–
Wealth
, book 5
⁷⁰

Verse, Blank

They do well to call it blank, for blank it is. I myself even, who never could find a single rhyme in my life, could make blank verse as fast as I could speak.

– Smith, to an anonymous newspaper interviewer
⁷¹

Virtue, Economic Analysis of

The late resolution of the Quakers in Pennsylvania to set at liberty all their negro slaves, may satisfy us that their number cannot be very great.

–
Wealth
, book 3
⁷²

Wages, Too Low Compared to Profits

The demand for those who live by wages … naturally increases with the increase of national wealth, and cannot possibly increase without it.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁷³

Wages, Too High Compared to Profits

The liberal reward of labour … to complain of it, is to lament over the necessary effect and cause of the greatest public prosperity.

–
Wealth
, book 1
⁷⁴