Ludwig von Mises

"The businessman who wishes to make money must first satisfy the wants of his customers better than his competitors."

"Freedom of thought requires freedom to speak and freedom to listen."

"You cannot improve the world by the use of force any more than you can by force make a man happy."

"The most absurd notion is that a society can prosper if the majority has the power to rob the minority."

"Time is the ultimate scarce resource; no man can create more of it."

"The government cannot give to anybody anything that it does not take from somebody else."

"Reason is the only alternative to force in human relations."

"The truly free man is not he who has escaped from the constraints of others, but he who has mastered himself."

"Economic law is not subject to the will of the majority or the decisions of politicians."

"The most important prerequisite for any trade or profession is honesty in dealing with others."

"Money is not the root of all evil; the evil is the desire to obtain it through coercion and fraud."

"There is but one way to salvation: the recognition that free markets and free men are inseparable."

"The entrepreneur is not motivated by a desire to serve humanity; he is motivated by profit, and that is what makes him serve humanity."

"All government intervention in the market generates unintended consequences worse than the problems it seeks to solve."

"To understand economics is to understand the only science that explains human action in the pursuit of material wellbeing."

"The division of labor cannot exist without the institution of private property."

"A man must be able to keep the fruits of his labor if he is to be motivated to produce."

"The greatest source of human progress is the voluntary cooperation of free individuals in the marketplace."

"Those who advocate for the use of force to achieve their ends have already admitted that they lack the power of persuasion."

"True peace can only be achieved through the abolition of coercive government power."

"The business cycle is not caused by the free market but by government manipulation of credit and money."

"Morality cannot be legislated; it must spring from the hearts and minds of men."

"The capitalist system rewards those who best serve the needs of others."

"Socialism is not a science; it is a utopian fantasy that ignores the reality of human nature."

"A man who does not understand economics will be manipulated by those who do."

"The fear of economic insecurity is the lever by which the state expands its power over the people."

"There is no such thing as a free lunch; every benefit must be paid for by someone."

"The businessman who succeeds is he who correctly anticipates the wants of the consumer."

"Government cannot prevent depressions; it can only prolong them through continued interference."

"The only truly progressive policy is one that protects the liberty of every individual."