People are always yearning for a bigger story to be part of, it's not enough to live our own private lives. — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
If we assume the best in people, we can radically redesign our democracy and welfare states. — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
I think it's rational to assume the best in other people because most people are pretty decent. — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Basic income would give people the most important freedom: the freedom of deciding for themselves what they want to do with their… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Year after year, politicians have drafted huge piles of legislation on the assumption that most people are not good. And we know… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
As our farms and factories grew more efficient, they accounted for a shrinking share of our economy. And the more productive agriculture… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
While it won't solve all the world's ills - and ideas such as a rent cap and more social housing are necessary… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Actually, it is precisely in overworked countries like Japan, England and the US that people watch an absurd amount of television. Up… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Only the work that generates money is allowed to count toward GDP. Little wonder, then, that we have organized education around feeding… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Psychologists even have a term for this: they talk about 'mean world syndrome'. People who have just seen too much of the… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
The first thing we should acknowledge is that poverty is hugely expensive. It varies from country to country, but most of the… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
A universal basic income means not only that millions of people would receive unconditional cash payments, but also that millions of people… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Since the 70s and the 80s you see the rise of neoliberalism. The central dogma of neoliberalism was that most people are… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share Image
“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need. — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions. — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.” — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be… — Rutger Bregman Copy Share
