Employment Quotes
Ask any rich man of common prudence to which of the two sorts of people he has lent the greater part of his stock, to those who, he thinks, will employ it profitably, or to those who will spend it idly, and he will laugh at you for proposing the question.
"Ask any rich man of common prudence to which of the two sorts of people he has lent the greater part of his stock, to those who, he thinks, will employ it profitably, or to those who will spend it idly, and he will laugh at you for proposing the question."— Adam Smith
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Meaning of this quote
Lenders are portrayed as generally preferring borrowers expected to use funds productively.
Key takeaway:
Distinguish productive borrowing from borrowing that only funds consumption.
Origin of the quote
The Wealth of Nations (1776)
Who actually said this?
VerifiedWording located in the primary text; capitalization and punctuation may vary.
Source:
The Wealth of Nations (1776)
