--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems to me obviously axiomatic that…" description: "\"It seems to me obviously axiomatic that markets are not magical, that they're organised in a range of regulated entities created by men. We decide in w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/john-lanchester-2601_conduct_it-seems-to-me-obviously-axiomatic-that_2259972.png" --- # It seems to me obviously axiomatic that markets are not… ![“It seems to me obviously axiomatic that markets are not magical, that they're organised in a range of regulated entities created by men. We decide in what we will have markets, and we decide how the rules work and how they'll conduct themselves.” quote by John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/john-lanchester-2601_conduct_it-seems-to-me-obviously-axiomatic-that_2259972.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/john-lanchester-2601_conduct_it-seems-to-me-obviously-axiomatic-that_2259972.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93e/john-lanchester-2601_conduct_it-seems-to-me-obviously-axiomatic-that_2259972.png) > “It seems to me obviously axiomatic that markets are not magical, that they're organised in a range of regulated entities created by men. We decide in what we will have markets, and we decide how the rules work and how they'll conduct themselves.” [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Markets are human-made systems, not mystical; we design their rules and participants. **In simple terms:** Markets are created by people, not magic. Key Takeaway Shape market rules wisely. Themes economics policy regulation human agency Mood analytical critical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - policy making - business strategy - financial regulation - public debate Key Concepts institutional design governance market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Who decides the market rules? - What happens when rules fail? A Different Perspective Complexity can limit predictability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Markets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/markets/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [People decide what markets should do - they are not a force of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rolf/people-decide-what-markets-should-do-they-are-not-a-force-of-nature/) [David Rolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rolf/) > [I started out by viewing the marketplace as a cruel place, where you need intervention by government and lawyers to protect people. But after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/i-started-out-by-viewing-the-marketplace-as-a-cruel-place-where-you/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Man has long found solace in good talk to offset bad conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/man-has-long-found-solace-in-good-talk-to-offset-bad-conduct/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [“Sheel (the highest state of conduct in worldly interaction) is where not even an iota of a wrong intent arises within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/sheel-the-highest-state-of-conduct-in-worldly-interaction-is-where/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-a-man-be-under-the-influence-of-anger-his-conduct-will-not-be/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Our First Amendment expresses a far different calculus for regulating speech than for regulating nonexpressive conduct and that is as it should be. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/our-first-amendment-expresses-a-far-different-calculus-for-regulating/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [The border is varied depending on the geography, depending on the specific venue, and depending on the conduct of individuals around it. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/the-border-is-varied-depending-on-the-geography-depending-on-the/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor. It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/lenity-will-operate-with-greater-force-in-some-instances-than-rigor/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/absolute-morality-is-the-regulation-of-conduct-in-such-a-way-that/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Be kindly and just in your dealings with your men. Never play favorites. Make them feel that justice tempered with mercy may always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-lejeune/be-kindly-and-just-in-your-dealings-with-your-men-never-play/) [John A. Lejeune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-lejeune/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [Let everyone regulate his conduct... by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-everyone-regulate-his-conduct-by-the-golden-rule-of-doing-to/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) ## More by John Lanchester > [In a democracy, people tend to get the kind of government they deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/in-a-democracy-people-tend-to-get-the-kind-of-government-they-deserve/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [My standard Nando's order is a chicken breast burger served 'medium,' which is still fairly spicy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/my-standard-nando-s-order-is-a-chicken-breast-burger-served-medium/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [“Bastiat (1801–1850) was a strikingly clear-minded early advocate of what came to be known as liberal economics, whose central idea is that the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/bastiat-1801-1850-was-a-strikingly-clear-minded-early-advocate-of/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [“What was going on here was something Smitty had seen before: a young person’s first real farewell to the world of school and college,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/what-was-going-on-here-was-something-smitty-had-seen-before-a-young/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [“It seemed too as if many of the people were on display, behaving as if they expected to be looked at, as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/it-seemed-too-as-if-many-of-the-people-were-on-display-behaving-as-if/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [But knowing that you had gone wrong, and knowing how you had gone wrong, were not the same thing as knowing how to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/but-knowing-that-you-had-gone-wrong-and-knowing-how-you-had-gone/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [Video games are the first new artistic medium since television, but they are more different from television than television was from cinema; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/video-games-are-the-first-new-artistic-medium-since-television-but/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > ['Dead peasants insurance' is a term that sounds as if it comes straight out of Monty Python. If only that were true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/dead-peasants-insurance-is-a-term-that-sounds-as-if-it-comes-straight/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [As an outsider to and observer of the restaurant business, one of the things I most admire about it is the risks people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/as-an-outsider-to-and-observer-of-the-restaurant-business-one-of-the/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [The first ATM in Hong Kong was actually at the foot of the bank. I remember my father using it. And I find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/the-first-atm-in-hong-kong-was-actually-at-the-foot-of-the-bank-i/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [Some things get clearer as you look back on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/some-things-get-clearer-as-you-look-back-on-them/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [Money is like poetry because both involve learning to communicate in a compressed language that packs a lot of meaning and consequence into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/money-is-like-poetry-because-both-involve-learning-to-communicate-in/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > ['Fine dining.' I'd love to know who coined the term and whether they meant it to be as offputting as it is. The words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/fine-dining-i-d-love-to-know-who-coined-the-term-and-whether-they/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [In sport, the money goes to the talent; it goes directly to the worker - unlike a bank, which sits in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/in-sport-the-money-goes-to-the-talent-it-goes-directly-to-the-worker/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [I love London in the rare parts of the year when it's quiet, and no time is more reliably quiet than the week between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/i-love-london-in-the-rare-parts-of-the-year-when-it-s-quiet-and-no/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) [Explore all 158 John Lanchester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) ## More Conduct quotes > [Let everyone regulate his conduct... by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/let-everyone-regulate-his-conduct-by-the-golden-rule-of-doing-to/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Be kindly and just in your dealings with your men. Never play favorites. Make them feel that justice tempered with mercy may always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-lejeune/be-kindly-and-just-in-your-dealings-with-your-men-never-play/) [John A. Lejeune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-lejeune/) > [Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/absolute-morality-is-the-regulation-of-conduct-in-such-a-way-that/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor. It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/lenity-will-operate-with-greater-force-in-some-instances-than-rigor/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The border is varied depending on the geography, depending on the specific venue, and depending on the conduct of individuals around it. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/the-border-is-varied-depending-on-the-geography-depending-on-the/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [Our First Amendment expresses a far different calculus for regulating speech than for regulating nonexpressive conduct and that is as it should be. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/our-first-amendment-expresses-a-far-different-calculus-for-regulating/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-a-man-be-under-the-influence-of-anger-his-conduct-will-not-be/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“Sheel (the highest state of conduct in worldly interaction) is where not even an iota of a wrong intent arises within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/sheel-the-highest-state-of-conduct-in-worldly-interaction-is-where/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Man has long found solace in good talk to offset bad conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/man-has-long-found-solace-in-good-talk-to-offset-bad-conduct/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [We shall use the terms morality, behavior, conduct, or constructive action in the same broad way. It may sound strange to speak of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-patten/we-shall-use-the-terms-morality-behavior-conduct-or-constructive/) William Patten > [The first step in freeing yourself from social restrictions is the realization that there is no such thing as a safe code of conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-first-step-in-freeing-yourself-from-social-restrictions-is-the/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) Browse all 465 Conduct quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems to me obviously axiomatic that markets are not magical, that they're organised in a range of regulated entities created by men. 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