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Thomas Sowell Quotes - Page 22

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The simplest and most psychologically satisfying explanation of any observed phenomenon is that it happened that way because someone wanted it to happen that way.

The simplest and most psychologically satisfying explanation of any observed phenomenon is that it happened that way because someone wanted it to happen that way.

Way, Economy, Explanation

Thomas Sowell (1996). “Knowledge And Decisions”, p.97, Basic Books

France has never gotten over the fact that it was once a great power and is now just a great nuisance.

Nuisance, Politics, France

Thomas Sowell (2006). “Ever Wonder Why? and Other Controversial Essays”, Hoover Inst Press

All things are the same except for the differences, and different except for the similarities.

Science, Differences, Different

Thomas Sowell (2006). “Black Rednecks and White Liberals”, p.266, Encounter Books

Many bad policies are simply good policies taken too far.

Taken, Policy

If a word means everything, then in means nothing.

Mean, Ifs

If you can't beat them or join them, then do something weird. No matter how much the passengers eat, the weight of the plane stays the same. Do you sometimes feel that you are necessary but not sufficient?

Weight, Matter, Sometimes

If you want to get each individual's honest opinion, you don't want that opinion to be influenced by others who are present, much less allow a group to coordinate what they are going to say.

Groups, Want, Opinion

Some full professors could more accurately be described as empty professors.

Education, Empty, Professors

Most problems, decisions, and performances are multidimensional, but somehow the results have to be reduced to a few key indicators which are to be institutionally rewarded or penalized... The need to reduce the indicators to a manageable few is based not only on the need to conserve the time (and sanity) of those who assign rewards and penalties, but also to provide those subject to these incentives with some objective indication of what their performance is expected to be and how it will be judged... key indicators can never tell the whole story.

Keys, Decision, Needs

I hate to think that someday Americans will be looking at the ruins of their cities and saying that this happened because their leaders were afraid of the word unilateral.

Hate, War, Thinking

Thomas Sowell (2006). “Ever Wonder Why? and Other Controversial Essays”, Hoover Inst Press

Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to 'change the United States of America,' the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country.

Country, Years, America

Thomas Sowell (2011). “Dismantling America and Other Controversial Essays (Large Print 16pt)”, p.6, ReadHowYouWant.com

Our fate is matched by the total freedom we have to react to our fate. It is as if we were dealt a hand of card. Once we have them, we are free to play them as we choose.

Fate, Hands, Play

Imagine a political system so radical as to promise to move more of the poorest 20% of the population into the richest 20% than remain in the poorest bracket within the decade? You don't need to imagine it. It's called the United States of America.

Moving, America, Political

"The 25 Best Quotes From Thomas Sowell". townhall.com. April 20, 2012.

Fundamentalist religion is the most pervasive vision of central planning, though many fundamentalists may oppose human central planning as a usurpation or "playing God.This is consistent with the fundamentalist vision of an unconstrained God and a highly constrained man.

Men, Vision, Society

Thomas Sowell (2007). “A Conflict of Visions: Idealogical Origins of Political Struggles”, p.49, Basic Books

More frightening to me than any policy or politician is the ease with which the public is played for fools with words. The latest example is the 'Employee Freedom of Choice Act,' a bill that will do away with secret ballot elections among workers voting on whether to be represented by a union. It is an open invitation to intimidation - which is to say, loss of freedom of choice.

Loss, Choices, Voting

Unbounded morality ultimately becomes counterproductive even in terms of the same moral principles being sought. The law of diminishing returns applies to morality.

Law, Principles, Return

Thomas Sowell (1996). “Knowledge And Decisions”, p.109, Basic Books

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology accepts blacks in the top ten percent of students, but at MIT this puts them in the bottom ten percent of the class.

Technology, Class, Massachusetts

It is precisely those members of Congress who have had the most to do with creating the risks that led to the current economic crisis who are making the most noise against others, and summoning people before their committee to be browbeaten and humiliated on nationwide television.

Creating, People, Risk

Thomas Sowell (2011). “Dismantling America and Other Controversial Essays (Large Print 16pt)”, p.42, ReadHowYouWant.com

Neither the depth of despondency nor the height of euphoria tells you how long either will last.

Long, Depth, Height

Thomas Sowell (2013). “Ever Wonder Why?: and Other Controversial Essays”, p.334, Hoover Press

Those government officials who want more power are not going to stop unless they get stopped.

Government, Want, Government Officials

"Sowell: Freedom fighters are needed to protect Constitution". www.columbian.com. March 3, 2014.

Politicians are forever coming up with 'solutions' to virtually every imaginable imperfection in life. But, if we give them more power and more of our money, we are very unlikely to end up better off on net balance.

Giving, Imperfection, Forever

The government has brought on the housing problem, partly by these very low interest rates, which encouraged many people to go way out on a limb. They've brought it on by highly restrictive building policies, which have caused housing prices to skyrocket artificially. And they've brought it on by the Community Reinvestment Act, which presumes that politicians are better able to tell investors where to put their money than the investors themselves are. When you put all that together, you get something like what you have.

Government, People, Community

Both HUD and the Department of Justice began bringing lawsuits against mortgage bankers when a higher percentage of minority applicants than white applicants were turned down for mortgage loans. A substantial majority of both black and white mortgage loan applicants had their loans approved but a statistical difference was enough to get a bank sued.

Black And White, Differences, Justice

Thomas Sowell (2011). “Dismantling America and Other Controversial Essays (Large Print 16pt)”, p.163, ReadHowYouWant.com

People who thing that they are getting something for nothing, by having government provide what they would otherwise have to buy in the private market, are not only kidding themselves by ignoring the taxes that government has to take from them in order to give them the appearance of something for nothing.

Government, Order, People

Thomas Sowell (2011). “Dismantling America and Other Controversial Essays (Large Print 16pt)”, p.76, ReadHowYouWant.com

If you have ever seen a four-year-old trying to lord it over a two-year-old, then you know what the basic problem of human nature is - and why government keeps growing larger and ever more intrusive.

Government, Years, Two Year Olds

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