Ability Quote by Glenn Reynolds
“The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them.”
About This Quote
Source Blog: Instapundit, 2005
Subsidizing middle‑class markers (college, homeownership) won’t create the underlying traits needed for middle‑class status.
In simple terms: Subsidies don’t build self‑discipline.
Key Takeaway
Focus on building personal traits.
Themes
economics
policy
social mobility
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
policy
economic
When to use this quote
- Education reform
- housing policy
- financial literacy programs
- skill development
Key Concepts
Human capital
behavioral economics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we nurture self‑discipline?
- What alternatives to subsidies exist?
A Different Perspective
Policies may have unintended consequences.
