Banker Quote by Anonymous
““A sound banker is not one who foresees danger and avoids it,” wrote John Maynard Keynes, “but one who, when he is ruined, is ruined in a conventional way along with his fellows, so that no one can really blame him.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, John Maynard Keynes, 1936
Keynes argues that a banker’s ruin is conventional when shared with peers, making blame impossible.
In simple terms: Shared ruin removes blame.
Recognize systemic risk in finance.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- banking regulation
- risk assessment
- financial crises
- policy making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does collective failure affect personal accountability?
- What safeguards can prevent shared ruin?
Individual actions still matter within systems.