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A man must always live by his work, and his wages must at least be sufficient to maintain him. They must even upon most occasions be somewhat more otherwise it would be impossible for him to bring up a family, and the race of such workmen could not last beyond the first generation.

Adam Smith

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Adam Smith
Age: 67 †
Born: 1723
Born: June 16
Died: 1790
Died: July 17
Economist
Non-Fiction Writer
Philosopher
University Teacher
Writer
Lang Toun
First
Impossible
Occasions
Must
Race
Sufficient
Even
Lasts
Otherwise
Work
Last
Generation
Always
Upon
Generations
Workmen
Would
Family
Beyond
Somewhat
Men
Live
Bring
Wages
Firsts
Least
Maintain

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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.
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On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity.
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I have no faith in political arithmetic.
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Humanity is the virtue of a woman, generosity that of a man.
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All registers which, it is acknowledged, ought to be kept secret, ought certainly never to exist.
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In a militia, the character of the laborer, artificer, or tradesman, predominates over that of the soldier: in a standing army, that of the soldier predominates over every other character.
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When we have read a book or poem so often that we can no longer find any amusement in reading it by ourselves, we can still take pleasure in reading it to a companion. To him it has all the graces of novelty.
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Individual Ambition Serves the Common Good.
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He is led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention
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Great nations are never impoverished by private, though they sometimes are by public prodigality and misconduct.
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The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities.
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Every tax, however, is to the person who pays it a badge, not of slavery but of liberty. It denotes that he is a subject to government, indeed, but that, as he has some property, he cannot himself be the property of a master.
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The liberal reward of labor, therefore, as it is the necessary effect, so it is the natural symptom of increasing national wealth. The scanty maintenance of the laboring poor, on the other hand, is the natural symptom that things are at a stand, and their starving condition that they going backwards fast.
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Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer.
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Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality.
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Have lots of experiments, but make sure they're strategically focused.
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The difference between the most dissimilar characters, between a philosopher and a common street porter, for example, seems to arise not so much from nature, as from habit, custom, and education.
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