--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mankind are more indebted to industry…" description: "\"Mankind are more indebted to industry than ingenuity; the gods set up their favors at a price, and industry is the purchaser.\" — Joseph Addison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/joseph-addison-377_favors_mankind-are-more-indebted-to-industry-th_3144083.jpg" --- # Mankind are more indebted to industry than ingenuity; the… ![“Mankind are more indebted to industry than ingenuity; the gods set up their favors at a price, and industry is the purchaser.” quote by Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/joseph-addison-377_favors_mankind-are-more-indebted-to-industry-th_3144083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/joseph-addison-377_favors_mankind-are-more-indebted-to-industry-th_3144083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/joseph-addison-377_favors_mankind-are-more-indebted-to-industry-th_3144083.jpg) > “Mankind are more indebted to industry than ingenuity; the gods set up their favors at a price, and industry is the purchaser.” [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Industry provides tangible benefits at a cost, unlike pure ingenuity which is free but less practical. **In simple terms:** Industry costs money but yields results; ingenuity is free but less useful. Key Takeaway Balance creativity with practical application. Themes economics philosophy technology Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - business planning - policy making - personal projects Key Concepts cost-benefit analysis innovation resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What is the price of progress? - When should we prioritize industry over ideas? A Different Perspective Ingenuity alone may not solve real problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Purchasers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purchasers/) ## Related quotes > [It is to the press mankind are indebted for having dispelled the clouds which so long encompassed religion, for disclosing her genuine lustre, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-to-the-press-mankind-are-indebted-for-having-dispelled-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [But even in the absence of direct interference by those who had the power to interfere, the process was usually aborted by the non-availability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/but-even-in-the-absence-of-direct-interference-by-those-who-had-the/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [We are apt to consider that invention is the result of spontaneous action of some heavenborn genius, whose advent we must patiently wait for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ambrose-fleming/we-are-apt-to-consider-that-invention-is-the-result-of-spontaneous/) [John Ambrose Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ambrose-fleming/) > [Once the government can demand of a publisher the names of the purchasers of his publication, the free press as we know it disappears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/once-the-government-can-demand-of-a-publisher-the-names-of-the/) [William O. 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