Quotessence
Home / Authors / John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes

John Maynard Keynes Quotes

Economist

Filter quotes by topic

AllEconomicsInvestingIfsEconomicMenLongInvestmentWealthMindShouldWaySocialThinkingIdeasMayWorldGovernmentEconomistEconomyEnterprise

Famous John Maynard Keynes Quotes

“If, however, a government refrains from regulations and allows matters to take their course, essential commodities soon attain a level of price out of the reach of all but the rich, the worthlessness of the money becomes apparent, and the fraud upon the public can be concealed no longer.”

IfsMatterGovernmentCoursesLevelsMoneyRichEssentialsEconomicsSocialismDeceptionFraudRegulationCommodityBankingTaxationConcealedRefrainWorthlessness
Book:The Economic Consequences of the Peace: The classic text on the Treaty of Versailles and post war Europe
Create image

“The inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth -- he could at the same time and by the same means adventure his wealth in the natural resources and new enterprise of any quarter of the world -- he could secure forthwith, if he wished, cheap and comfortable means of transit to any country or climate without passport or other formality.”

IfsWorldMeanCountryWholeEarthOrderPeaceNaturalWealthMorningAdventureProductsBedComfortableResourcesEconomicsClimateVariousLondonSecureTeaEnterpriseQuartersTelephonesNatural ResourcesPassportsFormalitySipping
Author:John Maynard Keynes
Create image

“Those, who are strongly wedded to what I shall call 'the classical theory', will fluctuate, I expect, between a belief that I am quite wrong and a belief that I am saying nothing new. It is for others to determine if either of these or the third alternative is right.”

IfsBeliefHistoryPowerLearningTheoryEconomicsThirdsDetermineAlternativesNothing NewSaying Nothing
Book:General Theory Of Employment , Interest And Money
Create image

“It is not the ownership of the instruments of production which it is important for the State to assume. If the State is able to determine the aggregate amount of resources devoted to augmenting the instruments and the basic rate of reward to those who own them, it will have accomplished all that is necessary. Moreover, the necessary measures of socialization can be introduced gradually and without a break in the general traditions of society.”

IfsImportantStatesWisdomAblePoliticsBreakEconomyAmountResourcesTraditionInstrumentsAssumingRewardsRateDetermineProductionsLiberalismAccomplishedDevotedOwnershipSocialization
Book:General Theory Of Employment , Interest And Money
Create image

“It is the long term investor who will in practice come in for the most criticism. For it is the essence of his behaviour that he should be eccentric, unconventional and rash in the eyes of the average opinion. If he is successful, that will only confirm the general belief in his rashness; and if in the short run he is unsuccessful, which is very likely, he will not receive much mercy. Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally.”

IfsThinkingShouldLongEyeRunningBeliefTermOpinionTeachPracticeSuccessfulFailingSucceedCriticismMercyEssenceIndependentInvestingAverageReputationLong TermInvestorsBehaviourWorldlyEccentricUnsuccessfulUnconventionalIndependent ThinkingRashnessWorldly Wisdom
Author:John Maynard Keynes
Create image

“Nothing can preserve the integrity of contact between individuals, except a discretionary authority in the state to revise what has become intolerable. The powers of uninterrupted usury are too great. If the accretions of vested interests were to grow without mitigation for many generations, half the population would be no better than slaves to the other half.”

IfsStatesWould BeIndividualGrowsInterestHalfGenerationsIntegrityAuthoritySlavePopulationContactPreservesOther HalfVested InterestsUsury
Book:The collected writings of John Maynard Keynes
Create image

“Businessmen have a different set of delusions from politicians; and need, therefore, different handling. They are, however, much milder than politicians, at the same time allured and terrified by the glare of publicity....You could do anything you like with them, if you would treat them (even the big ones) not as wolves and tigers, but as domestic animals by nature, even though they have been badly brought up and not trained as you would wish.”

IfsNeedsHas BeensDifferentBigsWishAnimalPoliticianTreatsDelusionTerrifiedBusinessmanTigersPublicityGlare
Author:John Maynard Keynes
Create image

“Nevertheless, if we contemplate a society with a somewhat stable wage-unit, with national characteristics which determine the propensity to consume and the preference for liquidity, and with a monetary system which rigidly links the quantity of money to the stock of the precious metals, it will be essential for the maintenance of prosperity that the authorities should pay close attention to the state of the balance of trade. For a favourable balance, provided it is not too large, will prove extremely stimulating; whilst an unfavourable balance may soon produce a state of persistent depression.”

IfsShouldMayStatesPayAttentionProduceBalanceProveEssentialsAuthorityTradeDetermineProsperityCharacteristicsLinksMetalsQuantityStableContemplatingNeverthelessUnitsPreferencePersistentMaintenanceMonetaryPropensityImbalanceMonetary SystemLiquidityPrecious Metal
Book:General Theory Of Employment , Interest And Money
Create image

“If the Treasury were to fill old bottles with bank-notes, bury them at suitable depths in disused coal-mines which are then filled up to the surface with town rubbish, and leave it to private enterprise on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again (the right to do so being obtained, of course, by tendering for leases of the note-bearing territory), there need be no more unemployment and, with the help of repercussions, the real income of the community, and its capital wealth, would probably become a good deal greater than it actually is.”

IfsNeedsWellsRealHelpingCoursesCommunityWealthDealsPrinciplesGreaterMinesTownsFilledNotesDepthSurfaceIncomeEnterpriseBottlesTerritoryUnemploymentCoalSuitableRubbishTreasuryRepercussionsLaissez FairePrivate EnterpriseLeaseFilled UpLaissez Faire CapitalismDigging A Hole
Book:General Theory Of Employment , Interest And Money
Create image