The man scarce lives who is not more credulous than he ought to be. The natural disposition is always to believe. It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity, and they very seldom teach it enough.
ADAM SMITHThe man scarce lives who is not more credulous than he ought to be. The natural disposition is always to believe. It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity, and they very seldom teach it enough.
ADAM SMITHScience is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.
ADAM SMITHJustice, however, never was in reality administered gratis in any country. Lawyers and attornies, at least, must always be paid by the parties; and, if they were not, they would perform their duty still worse than they actually perform it.
ADAM SMITHAs soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce.
ADAM SMITHThe great secret of education is to direct vanity to proper objects.
ADAM SMITHBeneficence is always free, it cannot be extorted by force.
ADAM SMITHThe game women play is men.
ADAM SMITHMan is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal does this – no dog exchanges bones with another.
ADAM SMITHNo society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.
ADAM SMITHIn ease of body, peace of mind, all the different ranks of life are nearly upon a level and the beggar who suns himself by the side of the highway, possesses that security which kings are fighting for.
ADAM SMITHA very poor man may be said in some sense to have a demand for a coach and six; he might like to have it; but his demand is not an effectual demand, as the commodity can never be brought to market in order to satisfy it.
ADAM SMITHGoods can serve many other purposes besides purchasing money, but money can serve no other purpose besides purchasing goods.
ADAM SMITHThe real price of everything, what everything really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.
ADAM SMITHMan naturally desires, not only to be loved, but to be lovely; or to be that thing which is the natural and proper object of love.
ADAM SMITHIt is the natural effect of improvement, however, to diminish gradually the real price of almost all manufactures.
ADAM SMITHAs soon as government management begins it upsets the natural equilibrium of industrial relations, and each interference only requires further bureaucratic control until the end is the tyranny of the totalitarian state.
ADAM SMITH