--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if there is any one subject on which…" description: "\"“if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to agree, any one point of doctrine to which every political sect subscribes, it's that \"economic ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg" --- # if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to… ![“if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to agree, any one point of doctrine to which every political sect subscribes, it's that "economic growth" is the highest goal, our ultimate goal as a country. and not only as a country-as states, as communities, as corporations, as individuals.” quote by Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg) > ““if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to agree, any one point of doctrine to which every political sect subscribes, it's that "economic growth" is the highest goal, our ultimate goal as a country. and not only as a country-as states, as communities, as corporations, as individuals.”” [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic growth is treated as the ultimate aim, overriding other values and perspectives. **In simple terms:** Growth is seen as the top goal. Key Takeaway Question growth as the sole aim. Themes economics politics environment values Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - government planning - corporate strategy - community development - personal budgeting Key Concepts growth mindset policy priority sustainability Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to growth could guide policy? - How does growth focus affect environmental health? A Different Perspective Prioritizing growth can ignore social and ecological costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree-point-1471724/) [Economic growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-growth/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-country-548119/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Growth Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-highest-2418412/) [Ultimate goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-goal/) ## Related quotes > [The 1950s and 1960s had been a period of enormous growth, the highest in American history, maybe in economic history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-1950s-and-1960s-had-been-a-period-of-enormous-growth-the-highest/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Persistence is all the rage behind it / that every individual agree with our point of views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/persistence-is-all-the-rage-behind-it-that-every-individual-agree/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“Hey, O Holy One, if the only people you want to read your book are the ones who already agree with everything in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-john/hey-o-holy-one-if-the-only-people-you-want-to-read-your-book-are-the/) [Antony John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-john/) > [I've always had one completely nonaltruistic goal, which is to go to every country in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-kaiser/i-ve-always-had-one-completely-nonaltruistic-goal-which-is-to-go-to/) [Brittany Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-kaiser/) > [Our goal is to have a country that's not divided by race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-goal-is-to-have-a-country-that-s-not-divided-by-race/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/so-it-is-the-policy-of-the-united-states-to-seek-and-support-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The ultimate goal of fostering is to get kittens and cats adopted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/the-ultimate-goal-of-fostering-is-to-get-kittens-and-cats-adopted/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [Everyone agrees that our ultimate goal is to establish a free, open and democratic Iraqi government and bring our men and women in uniform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-walsh/everyone-agrees-that-our-ultimate-goal-is-to-establish-a-free-open/) [James T. Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-walsh/) > [I'd like to think you don't stop being creative once you get happy. My ultimate goal is to end up being happy. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-d-like-to-think-you-don-t-stop-being-creative-once-you-get-happy-my/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [My ultimate goal in my life is to have a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-fisher/my-ultimate-goal-in-my-life-is-to-have-a-family/) [Jordan Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-fisher/) > [After more than two decades of trying to destroy the firearms rights of more than 80 million law-abiding American gun owners - and statistically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gottlieb/after-more-than-two-decades-of-trying-to-destroy-the-firearms-rights/) [Alan Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gottlieb/) > [I do explore the emotion every once in a while. I'd like to think you don't stop being creative once you get happy. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-do-explore-the-emotion-every-once-in-a-while-i-d-like-to-think-you/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Happiness is the ultimate goal. It is the goal of all other goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/happiness-is-the-ultimate-goal-it-is-the-goal-of-all-other-goals/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The ultimate goal of the whole policy of peaceful co-existence was to make progress on the basic goal laid down by Lenin of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nitze/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-whole-policy-of-peaceful-co-existence-was-to/) [Paul Nitze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nitze/) > [The ultimate goal of radical politics is gradually to displace the limit of social exclusions, empowering the excluded agents (sexual and ethnic minorities) by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-ultimate-goal-of-radical-politics-is-gradually-to-displace-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) ## More by Bill McKibben > [I try not to be either optimistic or pessimistic. I try not to think about outcomes on that scale. My job, it seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/i-try-not-to-be-either-optimistic-or-pessimistic-i-try-not-to-think/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Oil companies are radical because they're willing to alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/oil-companies-are-radical-because-they-re-willing-to-alter-the/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Whenever anyone challenges anything, the powers that be try to paint them as extremists or radicals or whatever. And I think that's actually nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/whenever-anyone-challenges-anything-the-powers-that-be-try-to-paint/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [My guess is that liberating the fossil fuel industry to frack anywhere they want will drive down the rate at which we're converting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/my-guess-is-that-liberating-the-fossil-fuel-industry-to-frack/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [What makes us different? We're the creature that can decide not to do something that we are capable of doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/what-makes-us-different-we-re-the-creature-that-can-decide-not-to-do/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“The snow was coming down so hard. It looked like the flakes were hurrying to get out of the sky so the next ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-snow-was-coming-down-so-hard-it-looked-like-the-flakes-were/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Most of the men and women who vote in Congress each year to continue subsidies have taken campaign donations from big energy companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/most-of-the-men-and-women-who-vote-in-congress-each-year-to-continue/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“I’ve sat behind a microphone and listened for decades as Americans learned to stop talking with each other and start shouting instead. No discussions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/i-ve-sat-behind-a-microphone-and-listened-for-decades-as-americans/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [People in low-lying countries like Bangladesh with almost 140 million people who are managing to feed themselves, whose carbon emissions can't really be calculated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/people-in-low-lying-countries-like-bangladesh-with-almost-140-million/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [We're putting more carbon into the atmosphere than the atmosphere can absorb. And everybody told us when we started, coz we knew nothing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-re-putting-more-carbon-into-the-atmosphere-than-the-atmosphere-can/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Everything that the administration has done has been counterproductive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/everything-that-the-administration-has-done-has-been-counterproductive/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [We use the web to help people organize in the flesh, and then we take the images of those events and put them back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-use-the-web-to-help-people-organize-in-the-flesh-and-then-we-take/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [everyone knows, at some level, that the sharp line between "good weather" and "bad weather" is a fiction, that we need rain as surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/everyone-knows-at-some-level-that-the-sharp-line-between-good-weather/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [The thing about global warming is that you can address it on a great number of levels - in fact you have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-thing-about-global-warming-is-that-you-can-address-it-on-a-great/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Where people aren't as deeply reliant on fossil fuel as in the United States, it's far easier for them to imagine change on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/where-people-aren-t-as-deeply-reliant-on-fossil-fuel-as-in-the-united/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) [Explore all 299 Bill McKibben quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) ## More Economic growth quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [“Economic growth continued by means of a succession of new products which found growing and ultimately massive demand. Some of the new products were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-a-hudson/economic-growth-continued-by-means-of-a-succession-of-new-products/) [Edward A. Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-a-hudson/) > [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/) [Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/) > [In short, both experience and economic theory imply that the US could now t to a more competitive dollar without experiencing either increased inflation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-feldstein/in-short-both-experience-and-economic-theory-imply-that-the-us-could/) [Martin Feldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-feldstein/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [“Since the 1960s, the national “average” of U.S. students on international tests has been middling to poor at best. Yet, the nation experienced unprecedented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/since-the-1960s-the-national-average-of-u-s-students-on-international/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [Economic growth and 'future superpower' status is all very good but that doesn't guarantee dignity for every individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/economic-growth-and-future-superpower-status-is-all-very-good-but/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [Education affects every major challenge we face in society. It creates economic growth, paves the way for peace and stability and helps erase the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/education-affects-every-major-challenge-we-face-in-society-it-creates/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Increased spending, growing government debt and overreaching regulations are stifling job creation and economic growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/increased-spending-growing-government-debt-and-overreaching/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Following one of the most violent conflicts in human history, the United States and Japan built a deep and abiding friendship - an alliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/following-one-of-the-most-violent-conflicts-in-human-history-the/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Economic growth is our North Star. Anyone who suggests we can just cut our way to prosperity isn't being honest. Anyone who suggests we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/economic-growth-is-our-north-star-anyone-who-suggests-we-can-just-cut/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“The English state thus constructed a system, later followed by other European countries, in which the ruler was subject to the law and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wade/the-english-state-thus-constructed-a-system-later-followed-by-other/) [Nicholas Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wade/) > [Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone to African development and the key to local value creation in Africa. I am determined to ensure that Africa's next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/entrepreneurship-is-the-cornerstone-to-african-development-and-the/) [Tony Elumelu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-elumelu/) > [Does inequality in the distribution of income increase or decrease in the course of a country's economic growth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuznets/does-inequality-in-the-distribution-of-income-increase-or-decrease-in/) [Simon Kuznets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuznets/) [Browse all 732 Economic growth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-growth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to agree, any one point of doctrine to which every political sect subscribes, it's that \"economic growth\" is the highest goal, our ultimate goal as a country. and not only as a country-as states, as communities, as corporations, as individuals.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill McKibben" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-everyone-seems-to-agree-any-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Economic growth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-everyone-seems-to-agree-any-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/bill-mckibben-1057_economic-growth_if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-eve_1849786.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“if there is any one subject on which everyone seems to agree, any one point of doctrine to which every…” — Bill McKibben", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill McKibben", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“if there is any one subject...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-everyone-seems-to-agree-any-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/if-there-is-any-one-subject-on-which-everyone-seems-to-agree-any-one/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```