--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Capitalism does millions of things better…" description: "\"Capitalism does millions of things better than the alternatives. It balances supply and demand in an elegant way that central planning has never come c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png" --- # Capitalism does millions of things better than the… ![“Capitalism does millions of things better than the alternatives. It balances supply and demand in an elegant way that central planning has never come close to.” quote by Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png) > “Capitalism does millions of things better than the alternatives. It balances supply and demand in an elegant way that central planning has never come close to.” [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Capitalism efficiently allocates resources via price signals, outperforming central planning. **In simple terms:** Capitalism uses prices to allocate resources better than planning. Key Takeaway Support market mechanisms for efficient outcomes. Themes economics efficiency market dynamics Mood analytical critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - government regulation - market failures Key Concepts supply-demand resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What are the limits of market solutions? - How can we address market failures? A Different Perspective Markets can ignore equity and externalities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balances/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Better Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-alternatives-387244/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalism Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-does-708513/) [Central](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central/) [Central planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-planning/) [Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Elegant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elegant/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Supply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supply/) [Supply and demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supply-and-demand/) [Supply Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supply-demand-461503/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-better/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Supply and demand eventually rebalance. We've seen this again and again and again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-gorman/supply-and-demand-eventually-rebalance-we-ve-seen-this-again-and/) [James P. Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-gorman/) > [Supply and demand regulate architectural form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/supply-and-demand-regulate-architectural-form/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [We are going to continue to run a business, and we are going to continue to meet the supply and demand that's out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/we-are-going-to-continue-to-run-a-business-and-we-are-going-to/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [A shortage is a sign that somebody is keeping the price artificially lower than it would be if supply and demand were allowed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/a-shortage-is-a-sign-that-somebody-is-keeping-the-price-artificially/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The laws of supply and demand drive up the price, inevitably, over time. But solar and wind are abundant and renewable resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-laws-of-supply-and-demand-drive-up-the-price-inevitably-over-time/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We are headed toward 'perfect capitalism,' when the laws of supply and demand become exact, because everyone knows everything about a product, service or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/we-are-headed-toward-perfect-capitalism-when-the-laws-of-supply-and/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The opinions that the price of commodities depends solely on the proportion of supply and demand, or demand to supply, has become almost an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/the-opinions-that-the-price-of-commodities-depends-solely-on-the/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [You can make even a parrot into a learned political economist - all he must learn are the two words "supply" and "demand."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/you-can-make-even-a-parrot-into-a-learned-political-economist-all-he/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The price of ability does not depend on merit but on supply and demand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-price-of-ability-does-not-depend-on-merit-but-on-supply-and-demand/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The equilibrium between supply and demand is achieved only through a reaction against the upsetting of the equilibrium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-equilibrium-between-supply-and-demand-is-achieved-only-through-a/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [“Basic economic theory tells us that if you want something that’s both rare and valuable, you need something rare and valuable to offer in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/basic-economic-theory-tells-us-that-if-you-want-something-that-s-both/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Food is a product of supply and demand, so try to figure out where the supplies are fresh, the suppliers are creative, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/food-is-a-product-of-supply-and-demand-so-try-to-figure-out-where-the/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [All I ever did was supply a demand that was pretty popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/all-i-ever-did-was-supply-a-demand-that-was-pretty-popular/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Be yourself on stage. Nobody else can be you and you have the law of supply and demand covered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/be-yourself-on-stage-nobody-else-can-be-you-and-you-have-the-law-of/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [The market insures that any quantity of money is capable of performing all the work required of a medium of exchange by adjusting its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-salerno/the-market-insures-that-any-quantity-of-money-is-capable-of/) [Joseph Salerno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-salerno/) ## More by Jeremy Grantham > [The investment business has taught me – increasingly as the years have passed – that people, especially investors (and, I believe, Americans), prefer good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/the-investment-business-has-taught-me-increasingly-as-the-years-have/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [The stock market is overpriced. Everything is overpriced. Junk is king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/the-stock-market-is-overpriced-everything-is-overpriced-junk-is-king/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Some societies are also more optimistic than others: the U.S. and Australia are my two picks Tell a European you think there’s a housing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/some-societies-are-also-more-optimistic-than-others-the-u-s-and/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [The potential for alternative energy sources, mainly solar and wind power, to completely replace coal and gas for utility generation globally is, I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/the-potential-for-alternative-energy-sources-mainly-solar-and-wind/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Battering down solar cells on the roofs of Wal-Marts in California. I think that will be some of the highest-return investments that anyone ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/battering-down-solar-cells-on-the-roofs-of-wal-marts-in-california-i/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [When it comes to portfolios, my personal advice is for anyone who can, put money into forestry or farmland. Long term, you would probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/when-it-comes-to-portfolios-my-personal-advice-is-for-anyone-who-can/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [By background I'm both a Quaker and a Yorkshireman, which I like to call double jeopardy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/by-background-i-m-both-a-quaker-and-a-yorkshireman-which-i-like-to/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Volatility is a symptom that people have no idea of the underlying value-that they have stopped playing the asset game. They're not buying because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/volatility-is-a-symptom-that-people-have-no-idea-of-the-underlying/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Libertarians believe that any government interference is bad. Anyone with a brain knows that climate change needs governmental leadership, and they can smell this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/libertarians-believe-that-any-government-interference-is-bad-anyone/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Think how weird profit margins are: We've got high unemployment and financial crises - and world record profit margins. People think the American market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/think-how-weird-profit-margins-are-we-ve-got-high-unemployment-and/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Bubbles have quite a few things in common, but housing bubbles have a spectacular thing in common, and that is every one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/bubbles-have-quite-a-few-things-in-common-but-housing-bubbles-have-a/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Modern agriculture has been accurately described as a way of turning oil into food. As the price of oil continues to rise, so will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/modern-agriculture-has-been-accurately-described-as-a-way-of-turning/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [The individual is far better-positioned to wait patiently for the right pitch while paying no regard to what others are doing, which is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/the-individual-is-far-better-positioned-to-wait-patiently-for-the/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [Ridiculous as our market volatility might seem to an intelligent Martian, it is our reality and everyone loves to trot out the 'quote' attributed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/ridiculous-as-our-market-volatility-might-seem-to-an-intelligent/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [We live on a finite planet. We have finite resources, and we're running out of good, arable land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/we-live-on-a-finite-planet-we-have-finite-resources-and-we-re-running/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) [Explore all 60 Jeremy Grantham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) ## More Alternatives quotes > [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/) [Harold Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-covington/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/) [Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/) > [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/) [Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/) > [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/) [Nicolas Bourriaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-bourriaud/) > [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/) [George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/) > [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/) [Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/) [Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Capitalism does millions of things better than the alternatives. It balances supply and demand in an elegant way that central planning has never come close to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy Grantham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/capitalism-does-millions-of-things-better-than-the-alternatives-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alternatives" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/capitalism-does-millions-of-things-better-than-the-alternatives-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/jeremy-grantham-11433_alternatives_capitalism-does-millions-of-things-bette_2350589.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Capitalism does millions of things better than the alternatives. It balances supply and demand in an elegant…” — Jeremy Grantham", "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": "Jeremy Grantham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Capitalism does millions of things better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/capitalism-does-millions-of-things-better-than-the-alternatives-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/capitalism-does-millions-of-things-better-than-the-alternatives-it/#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 } } ] } ```