Economic Moderation Quotes

…set bounds to the quest of wealth…

When I caution you against becoming a miser, I do not therefore advise you to become a prodigal or a spendthrift.

The spirit of commerce is frugality, economy, moderation, labor, ponderance, tranquillity, order, and rule. So long as this spirit subsides, the riches it produces have no bad effect. The mischief is when excessive wealth destroys the spirit of commerce, then it is that the conveniences of inequality... are felt.

Those who know the true use of money, and regulate the measure of wealth according to their needs, live contented with few things.

The best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class.

The art of wealth-getting which consists in household management, on the one hand, has a limit; the unlimited acquisition of wealth is not its business. And therefore, in one point of view, all riches must have a limit; nevertheless, as a matter of fact, we find the opposite to be the case; for all getters of wealth increase their hard coin without limit.

My general view is that capitalism is an amazing innovation and job-creation machine. But what we've done historically that has been so brilliant is that we've moderated it with appropriate tax policy, with regulation, with workers' rights and infrastructure in our society that make sure that everyone has an opportunity.

I don't dislike money, but there's only so much money you can use.

In Asia, we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia.

I actually profoundly think the world's a better place when economics is fairly boring... The more boring the better.