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Consumerism Quote by John Stuart Mill

“What a country wants to make it richer is never consumption, but production. Where there is the latter, we may be sure that there is no want of the former. To produce, implies that the producer de_sires to consume; why else should he give himself useless labor? He may not wish to consume what he…” quote by John Stuart Mill
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“What a country wants to make it richer is never consumption, but production. Where there is the latter, we may be sure that there is no want of the former. To produce, implies that the producer de_sires to consume; why else should he give himself useless labor? He may not wish to consume what he himself produces, but his motive for producing and selling is the desire to buy. Therefore, if the producers generally produce and sell more and more, they certainly also buy more and more.”

John Stuart Mill

About This Quote

Source Book: Principles of Political Economy, John Stuart Mill, 1848

Economic growth stems from producing goods, not merely consuming them; producers create to fulfill their own consumption needs.

In simple terms: Production drives consumption, not the other way round.

Key Takeaway

Focus on creating value to meet needs.

Themes

economics production consumption growth

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

economic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • business strategy
  • public policy
  • personal finance
  • entrepreneurship

Key Concepts

capitalism value creation market dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can production be balanced with sustainability?
  • What policies ensure production benefits all?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on production can ignore environmental and social costs.

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