--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An entirely new system of thought is…" description: "\"An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods. . . .\" — E. F. Schumacher" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/e-f-schumacher-8282_attention_an-entirely-new-system-of-thought-is-nee_1736060.png" --- # An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system… ![“An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods. . . .” quote by E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/e-f-schumacher-8282_attention_an-entirely-new-system-of-thought-is-nee_1736060.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/e-f-schumacher-8282_attention_an-entirely-new-system-of-thought-is-nee_1736060.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/e-f-schumacher-8282_attention_an-entirely-new-system-of-thought-is-nee_1736060.png) > “An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods. . . .” [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A call for a paradigm shift toward valuing people over profit, emphasizing human-centered design and social well‑being. **In simple terms:** People should be prioritized over goods. Key Takeaway Design systems that serve people first. Themes human-centered economics ethics Mood motivational thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business strategy - policy making - community development Key Concepts attention to people social value Questions to Reflect On - How can you embed human focus in your work? - What barriers exist to people‑first systems? A Different Perspective Economic pressures may resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [New thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-thought/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Small is beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-is-beautiful/) ## Related quotes > [To organize work in such a manner that it becomes meaningless, boring, stultifying, or nerve-racking for the worker would be little short of criminal;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/to-organize-work-in-such-a-manner-that-it-becomes-meaningless-boring/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [I have no doubt that it is possible to give a new direction to technological development, a direction that shall lead it back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/i-have-no-doubt-that-it-is-possible-to-give-a-new-direction-to/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men but also with nature...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-still-have-to-learn-how-to-live-peacefully-not-only-with-our-2/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [That soul-destroying, meaningless, mechanical, moronic work is an insult to human nature which must necessarily and inevitably produce either escapism or aggression, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/that-soul-destroying-meaningless-mechanical-moronic-work-is-an-insult/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [From a Buddhist point of view, this is standing the truth on its head by considering goods as more important than people and consumption…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/from-a-buddhist-point-of-view-this-is-standing-the-truth-on-its-head/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [From the point of view of the employer, it is in any case simply an item of cost, to be reduced to a minimum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/from-the-point-of-view-of-the-employer-it-is-in-any-case-simply-an/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Man's needs are infinite, and infinitude can be achieved only in the spiritual realm, never in the material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/man-s-needs-are-infinite-and-infinitude-can-be-achieved-only-in-the/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men but also with nature and, above all, with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/we-still-have-to-learn-how-to-live-peacefully-not-only-with-our/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Modern man talks of a battle with nature, forgetting that, if he won the battle, he would find himself on the losing side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/modern-man-talks-of-a-battle-with-nature-forgetting-that-if-he-won/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The most striking about modern industry is that it requires so much and accomplishes so little. Modern industry seems to be inefficient to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-most-striking-about-modern-industry-is-that-it-requires-so-much/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Even bigger machines, entailing even bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/even-bigger-machines-entailing-even-bigger-concentrations-of-economic/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task - and the task of all education - is to understand the present world, the world in which we live and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-and-the-task-of-all-education-is-to-understand-the-present/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Without ... the creative imagination rushing in where bureaucratic angels fear to tread - without this, life is a mockery and a disgrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/without-the-creative-imagination-rushing-in-where-bureaucratic-angels/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [If greed were not the master of modern man, how could it be that the frenzy of economic activity does not abate as higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/if-greed-were-not-the-master-of-modern-man-how-could-it-be-that-the/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## More by E. F. Schumacher > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Study how a society uses its land, and you can come to pretty reliable conclusions as to what its future will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/study-how-a-society-uses-its-land-and-you-can-come-to-pretty-reliable/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Without ... the creative imagination rushing in where bureaucratic angels fear to tread - without this, life is a mockery and a disgrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/without-the-creative-imagination-rushing-in-where-bureaucratic-angels/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Why precisely do we want to change land ownership? The answer seems to me to be quite clear: to inhibit land speculation, to inhibit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/why-precisely-do-we-want-to-change-land-ownership-the-answer-seems-to/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task - and the task of all education - is to understand the present world, the world in which we live and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-and-the-task-of-all-education-is-to-understand-the-present/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Infinite growth of material consumption in a finite world is an impossibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/infinite-growth-of-material-consumption-in-a-finite-world-is-an/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Even bigger machines, entailing even bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/even-bigger-machines-entailing-even-bigger-concentrations-of-economic/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-substance-of-man-cannot-be-measured-by-gross-national-product/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [To describe an animal as a physico-chemical system of extreme complexityis no doubt perfectly correct, except that it misses out on the animalness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/to-describe-an-animal-as-a-physico-chemical-system-of-extreme/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task is to look at the world, and see it whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-is-to-look-at-the-world-and-see-it-whole/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The most striking about modern industry is that it requires so much and accomplishes so little. Modern industry seems to be inefficient to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-most-striking-about-modern-industry-is-that-it-requires-so-much/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The modern world tends to be skeptical about everything that makes demands on man's higher faculties. But it is not at all skeptical about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-modern-world-tends-to-be-skeptical-about-everything-that-makes/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Many people love in themselves what they hate in others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/many-people-love-in-themselves-what-they-hate-in-others/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [I cannot predict the wind but I can have my sail ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/i-cannot-predict-the-wind-but-i-can-have-my-sail-ready/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The technology of mass production is inherently violent, ecologically damaging, self-defeating in terms of non-renewable resources, and stultifying for the human person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-technology-of-mass-production-is-inherently-violent-ecologically/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) [Explore all 82 E. F. Schumacher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods. . . .", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. 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