Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless…
“Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless and good-for-nothing person is so much diverted from some other employment, and that means from somebody else. I would spend any conceivable amount of zeal and eloquence if I possessed it to try to make people grasp this idea. Capital is force. If it goes one way it cannot go another. If you give a loaf to a pauper you cannot give the same loaf to a laborer. Now this other man who would have got it but for the charitable sentiment which bestowed it on a worthless member of society is the Forgotten Man.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Diverting resources to those deemed unproductive steals from others who could use them productively.
In simple terms: Giving to the undeserving harms others.
Key Takeaway
Allocate resources wisely.
Themes
economics
resource allocation
social responsibility
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- charitable giving
- private investment
- social welfare policy
Key Concepts
Opportunity cost
social welfare
capital as force
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides who is “worthless”?
- How can we balance compassion with efficiency?
A Different Perspective
Assumes moral judgment of worthiness is objective; may ignore systemic inequality.