---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A nation cannot prosper if its members…"
description: "\"A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware of the fact that what alone can improve their condition s is more and better production. An..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png"
---

#  A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware…

![“A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware of the fact that what alone can improve their condition s is more and better production. And this can only be brought about by increased saving and capital accumulation.” quote by Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png)

> “A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware of the fact that what alone can improve their condition s is more and better production. And this can only be brought about by increased saving and capital accumulation.”

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## About This Quote

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

Economic growth depends on awareness of productivity, saving, and capital accumulation to improve living standards.

**In simple terms:** Prosperity needs productivity, saving, and capital.

Key Takeaway

Focus on saving and investing.

Themes

economics productivity capital growth

Mood

analytical serious

Type

economic philosophical

When to use this quote

- business planning
- personal finance
- policy making
- education campaigns

Key Concepts

classical liberalism entrepreneurship investment

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies enable broader saving?
- What policies boost capital formation?

A Different Perspective

Assumes all members can save equally, ignoring inequality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accumulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accumulation/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/)

## Related quotes

> [What makes small business develop into big business is not spending, but saving and capital accumulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-makes-small-business-develop-into-big-business-is-not-spending/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [The essence of Keynesianism is its complete failure to conceive the role that saving and capital accumulation play in the improvement of economic conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-essence-of-keynesianism-is-its-complete-failure-to-conceive-the/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [History does not provide any example of capital accumulation brought about by a government. As far as governments invested in the construction of roads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/history-does-not-provide-any-example-of-capital-accumulation-brought/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [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-2/)

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

> [Neoliberalization has not been very effective in revitalizing global capital accumulation, but it has succeeded remarkably well in restoring, or in some instances (as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/neoliberalization-has-not-been-very-effective-in-revitalizing-global/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [The workforce in Latin America was treated as a vulgar instrument for capital accumulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-correa/the-workforce-in-latin-america-was-treated-as-a-vulgar-instrument-for/)

[Rafael Correa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-correa/)

> [Being an actor, your focus is just on your craft and how to make it better, but production is a much bigger task -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveena-tandon/being-an-actor-your-focus-is-just-on-your-craft-and-how-to-make-it/)

[Raveena Tandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveena-tandon/)

> [Plays are so much more special if they've never ever had a production, but I think you can really work on a play and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-henley/plays-are-so-much-more-special-if-they-ve-never-ever-had-a-production/)

[Beth Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-henley/)

> [I thought it was getting better and better, because the production values were increasing each time we did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-jacobi/i-thought-it-was-getting-better-and-better-because-the-production/)

[Derek Jacobi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-jacobi/)

> [I know I can't do everything myself. So I know I specialize in my melodies and I do some of my demo work. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/i-know-i-can-t-do-everything-myself-so-i-know-i-specialize-in-my/)

[Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/)

> [Our nation will prosper or decline in direct proportion to our selection of leaders who are guided by the Holy Spirit. If we fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-nation-will-prosper-or-decline-in-direct-proportion-to-our/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [“Beyond the speculative and often fraudulent froth that characterizes much of neoliberal financial manipulation, there lies a deeper process that entails the springing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/beyond-the-speculative-and-often-fraudulent-froth-that-characterizes/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [A nation will prosper to the degree that it honors it's teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/a-nation-will-prosper-to-the-degree-that-it-honors-it-s-teachers/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [To exist as a nation, to prosper as a state, and to live as a people, we must have trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/to-exist-as-a-nation-to-prosper-as-a-state-and-to-live-as-a-people-we/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [A tax on capital is self-defeating, in that it slows down capital accumulation, investment and economic growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/a-tax-on-capital-is-self-defeating-in-that-it-slows-down-capital/)

[Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/)

## More by Ludwig von Mises

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/changes-in-human-conditions-are-brought-about-by-the-pioneering-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [During the 2300 years since Plato, very little opposition has been registered to his ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/during-the-2300-years-since-plato-very-little-opposition-has-been/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [There is no kind of freedom and liberty other than the kind which the market economy brings about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/there-is-no-kind-of-freedom-and-liberty-other-than-the-kind-which-the/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Peace and not war is the father of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/peace-and-not-war-is-the-father-of-all-things/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-counts-alone-is-the-innovator-the-dissenter-the-harbinger-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [All this talk: the state should do this or that, ultimately means: the police should force consumers to behave otherwise than they would behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/all-this-talk-the-state-should-do-this-or-that-ultimately-means-the/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-most-successful-businessmen-were-often-uneducated-when-measured/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/facts-per-se-can-neither-prove-nor-refute-anything-everything-is/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

[Explore all 637 Ludwig von Mises quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## More Accumulation quotes

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/)

[Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/)

> [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/)

[Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/)

> [The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-accumulation-of-all-powers-legislative-executive-and-judiciary-in/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [I think that only daring speculation can lead us further and not accumulation of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-think-that-only-daring-speculation-can-lead-us-further-and-not/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny. It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/karma-is-often-wrongly-confused-with-the-notion-of-a-fixed-destiny-it/)

[Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/)

> [There has been, for some reason (or more likely an unfortunate accumulation of reasons) a trend over the past several decades for parents to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/there-has-been-for-some-reason-or-more-likely-an-unfortunate/)

[Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/)

> [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/)

[Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/)

> [For me, personally, there is one really interesting thing. You're all a bit too young for that, but when you get to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/for-me-personally-there-is-one-really-interesting-thing-you-re-all-a/)

[Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/)

> [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/)

> [When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/when-the-accumulation-of-wealth-is-no-longer-of-high-social/)

[John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/)

> [The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-alexander-eastman/the-native-american-has-been-generally-despised-by-his-white/)

[Charles Alexander Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-alexander-eastman/)

> [The soul lives forever by giving, not receiving. This is the grand paradox. You get most by giving most. Conversely, by receiving much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-johnson/the-soul-lives-forever-by-giving-not-receiving-this-is-the-grand/)

[Julian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-johnson/)

> [Forgiveness of the present is even more important than forgiveness of the past. If you forgive every moment - allow it to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/forgiveness-of-the-present-is-even-more-important-than-forgiveness-of/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/too-much-and-too-long-we-seem-to-have-surrendered-community/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

[Browse all 412 Accumulation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accumulation/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware of the fact that what alone can improve their condition s is more and better production.  And this can only be brought about by increased saving and capital accumulation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ludwig von Mises"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-are-not-fully-aware-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accumulation"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-are-not-fully-aware-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/ludwig-von-mises-364_accumulation_a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-a_717867.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A nation cannot prosper if its members are not fully aware of the fact that what alone can improve their…” — Ludwig von Mises",
                "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": "Ludwig von Mises",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A nation cannot prosper if its...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-are-not-fully-aware-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-nation-cannot-prosper-if-its-members-are-not-fully-aware-of-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
