---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: More and more people are becoming aware…"
description: "\"More and more people are becoming aware that government has nothing to give them without first taking it away from somebody else-or from themselves. In..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg"
---

#  More and more people are becoming aware that government…

![“More and more people are becoming aware that government has nothing to give them without first taking it away from somebody else-or from themselves. Increased handouts to selected groups mean merely increased taxes, or increased deficits and increased inflation.” quote by Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg)

> “More and more people are becoming aware that government has nothing to give them without first taking it away from somebody else-or from themselves. Increased handouts to selected groups mean merely increased taxes, or increased deficits and increased inflation.”

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Government aid often shifts costs to others, causing higher taxes, deficits, or inflation.

**In simple terms:** Aid redistributes wealth, raising taxes or debt.

Key Takeaway

Consider the hidden costs of handouts.

Themes

economics public policy taxation inflation social welfare

Mood

critical analytical

Type

economic political

When to use this quote

- political debate
- budget planning
- tax policy

Key Concepts

public finance redistributive policies budget deficits

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the long‑term effects of targeted handouts?
- How can benefits be provided without raising deficits?

A Different Perspective

Assumes all government spending is wasteful; may ignore public goods.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Inflation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/)

## Related quotes

> [Public unions are the country's foremost advocates for increased taxes at all levels of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/public-unions-are-the-country-s-foremost-advocates-for-increased/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [And I just think that we're at a point in our economic life here in our state - and - and, candidly, across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/and-i-just-think-that-we-re-at-a-point-in-our-economic-life-here-in/)

[Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/)

> [I suppose the White House thinks it's doing what Big Business wants, but it will lead to vastly increased taxes, because all these guest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brimelow/i-suppose-the-white-house-thinks-it-s-doing-what-big-business-wants/)

[Peter Brimelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brimelow/)

> [All subsidy measures, all schemes to redistribute income or to force Peter to support Paul, are one-eyed as well as shortsighted. They get their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/all-subsidy-measures-all-schemes-to-redistribute-income-or-to-force/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [New taxes are so unpopular that most 'social' handout schemes are originally enacted without enough increased taxation to pay for them. The result is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/new-taxes-are-so-unpopular-that-most-social-handout-schemes-are/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [The case decided on Thursday, though, seemed promising to takings fans because it wasn't about compensation. It was about the requirement that any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kinsley/the-case-decided-on-thursday-though-seemed-promising-to-takings-fans/)

[Michael Kinsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kinsley/)

> [No government has ever been beneficent when the attitude of government was that it was taking care of the people. The only freedom consists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/no-government-has-ever-been-beneficent-when-the-attitude-of/)

[Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/)

> [“Imagine, representatives of our own government taking the side of a foreign country over the interest of American citizen. If it ever gets to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-w-johnstone/imagine-representatives-of-our-own-government-taking-the-side-of-a/)

[William W. Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-w-johnstone/)

> [I've always considered the government taking one out of every two dollars I earn absolute tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-ve-always-considered-the-government-taking-one-out-of-every-two/)

[Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/)

> [Obama actually believes that as small business grows, the government should be taking more and more from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/obama-actually-believes-that-as-small-business-grows-the-government/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [That is the crux of modern conservatism - government taking strong measures to foster the attitudes and aptitudes necessary for increased individual independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/that-is-the-crux-of-modern-conservatism-government-taking-strong/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

> [I thought I was benefiting the Indians as well as the government, by taking them all over the United States, and giving them a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buffalo-bill/i-thought-i-was-benefiting-the-indians-as-well-as-the-government-by/)

[Buffalo Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buffalo-bill/)

> [I didn't defraud the government by taking money that was not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-snipes/i-didn-t-defraud-the-government-by-taking-money-that-was-not-mine/)

[Wesley Snipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-snipes/)

> [At times it felt as if no one in Government was taking ownership of how COVID-19 directives would be perceived, interpreted and understood on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pritam-singh/at-times-it-felt-as-if-no-one-in-government-was-taking-ownership-of/)

[Pritam Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pritam-singh/)

> [I'm saying the federal government is taking away the freedom of Americans to make choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lepage/i-m-saying-the-federal-government-is-taking-away-the-freedom-of/)

[Paul LePage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lepage/)

## More by Henry Hazlitt

> [It is often sadly remarked that the bad economists present their errors to the public better than the good economists present their truths. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-often-sadly-remarked-that-the-bad-economists-present-their/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [“This is perhaps as good a place as any to point out that what distinguishes many reformers from those who cannot accept their proposals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/this-is-perhaps-as-good-a-place-as-any-to-point-out-that-what/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Government can't give us anything without depriving us of something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/government-can-t-give-us-anything-without-depriving-us-of-something/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [When the government makes loans or subsidies to business, what it does is to tax successful private business in order to support unsuccessful private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/when-the-government-makes-loans-or-subsidies-to-business-what-it-does/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [“The analysis of our illustrations has taught us another incidental lesson. This is that, when we study the effects of various proposals, not merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-analysis-of-our-illustrations-has-taught-us-another-incidental/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [There is a profound contrast between the effects of foreign aid and of voluntary private investment: foreign aid goes from government to government. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/there-is-a-profound-contrast-between-the-effects-of-foreign-aid-and/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [The mounting burden of taxation not only undermines individual incentives to increased work and earnings, but in a score of ways discourages capital accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-mounting-burden-of-taxation-not-only-undermines-individual/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Multiculturalism means your kid has to learn some wretched tribal dirge for the school holiday concert instead of getting to sing 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/multiculturalism-means-your-kid-has-to-learn-some-wretched-tribal/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [It is possible to increase paper-money income to any amount by debasing the currency. But real income can only be increased by working harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-possible-to-increase-paper-money-income-to-any-amount-by/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Inflation makes the extension of socialism possible by providing the financial chaos in which it flourishes. The fact is that socialism and inflation are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/inflation-makes-the-extension-of-socialism-possible-by-providing-the/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [“the desperate need to get back to normal housing and other living conditions stimulated increased efforts. But this does not mean that property destruction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-desperate-need-to-get-back-to-normal-housing-and-other-living/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Yet it ought to be clear that a minimum wage law is, at best, a limited weapon for combatting the evil of low wages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/yet-it-ought-to-be-clear-that-a-minimum-wage-law-is-at-best-a-limited/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [“It is a misconception to think of the function or result of machines as primarily one of creating jobs . The real result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-a-misconception-to-think-of-the-function-or-result-of-machines/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [A certain amount of taxes is of course indispensable to carry on essential government functions. Reasonable taxes for this purpose need not hurt production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/a-certain-amount-of-taxes-is-of-course-indispensable-to-carry-on/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [A vital function of the free market is to penalize inefficiency and misjudgment and to reward efficiency and good judgment. By distorting economic calculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/a-vital-function-of-the-free-market-is-to-penalize-inefficiency-and/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

[Explore all 148 Henry Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

## More Becoming quotes

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/)

[Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

Christopher Wood

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "More and more people are becoming aware that government has nothing to give them without first taking it away from somebody else-or from themselves. Increased handouts to selected groups mean merely increased taxes, or increased deficits and increased inflation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Hazlitt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware-that-government-has-nothing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Becoming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware-that-government-has-nothing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/henry-hazlitt-2839_becoming_more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware_948981.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“More and more people are becoming aware that government has nothing to give them without first taking it…” — Henry Hazlitt",
                "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": "Henry Hazlitt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "More and more people are becoming...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware-that-government-has-nothing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/more-and-more-people-are-becoming-aware-that-government-has-nothing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
