--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But history tells us that monopolies that…" description: "\"“But history tells us that monopolies that are truly benevolent and effective are rare.”\" — Michael E. Porter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba1/michael-e-porter-9937_history_but-history-tells-us-that-monopolies-tha_602322.jpg" --- # But history tells us that monopolies that are truly… ![“But history tells us that monopolies that are truly benevolent and effective are rare.” quote by Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba1/michael-e-porter-9937_history_but-history-tells-us-that-monopolies-tha_602322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba1/michael-e-porter-9937_history_but-history-tells-us-that-monopolies-tha_602322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba1/michael-e-porter-9937_history_but-history-tells-us-that-monopolies-tha_602322.jpg) > ““But history tells us that monopolies that are truly benevolent and effective are rare.”” [Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True benevolent monopolies are rare; most monopolies lack both kindness and efficiency. **In simple terms:** Benevolent monopolies are uncommon. Key Takeaway Beware of assuming monopolies can be good. Themes competition monopolies ethics business strategy market power Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical business When to use this quote - corporate governance - antitrust law - industry analysis - public policy Key Concepts market dominance consumer welfare innovation regulation Questions to Reflect On - Can a monopoly ever be socially beneficial? - What safeguards prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Some monopolies can drive innovation despite power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Monopolies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopolies/) ## Related quotes > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [To the public, the press is not David among Goliaths; it has become one of the Goliaths, Big Media, a combination of powerful television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-the-public-the-press-is-not-david-among-goliaths-it-has-become-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Publishing had been successful where there had been natural geographic monopolies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mansueto/publishing-had-been-successful-where-there-had-been-natural/) [Joe Mansueto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mansueto/) > [Governments have monopolies on certain things, like eminent domain and deadly force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/governments-have-monopolies-on-certain-things-like-eminent-domain-and/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [This country would not be a land of opportunity, America could not be America, if the people were shackled with government monopolies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/this-country-would-not-be-a-land-of-opportunity-america-could-not-be/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [All developmental activities for the common man such as education, healthcare, shelter and food distribution should be handled by reputed private sector institutions. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-r-narayana-murthy/all-developmental-activities-for-the-common-man-such-as-education/) [N. R. Narayana Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-r-narayana-murthy/) > [When money, rather than innovation or value, is your competitive advantage, that's when things get boring and stagnant, and monopolies take root.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/when-money-rather-than-innovation-or-value-is-your-competitive/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [It's no surprise to me personally that monopolists, and executives associated with monopolies, would prefer that the anti-monopoly cops just go away. But that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lina-khan/it-s-no-surprise-to-me-personally-that-monopolists-and-executives/) [Lina Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lina-khan/) > [Big telecommunications monopolies - many of whom now seek to be content providers as well - shouldn't be able to price others out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-wiley/big-telecommunications-monopolies-many-of-whom-now-seek-to-be-content/) [Maya Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-wiley/) > [“More than any previous coterie of corporations, the tech monopolies aspire to mold humanity into their desired image of it. 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Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) > [“It is more useful to think in terms of themes that pervade many activities, such as low cost, a particular notion of customer service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-porter/it-is-more-useful-to-think-in-terms-of-themes-that-pervade-many/) [Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) > [“Although external changes can be the problem, the greater threat to strategy often comes from within. A sound strategy is undermined by a misguided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-porter/although-external-changes-can-be-the-problem-the-greater-threat-to/) [Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) > [“Managers must clearly distinguish operational effectiveness from strategy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-porter/managers-must-clearly-distinguish-operational-effectiveness-from/) [Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) [Explore all 69 Michael E. Porter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But history tells us that monopolies that are truly benevolent and effective are rare.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael E. 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