Law Quote by Milton Friedman
“When something goes wrong, the natural tendency is to say, "By God, we need to pass a law and do something."”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Economic Freedom Forum, 2000
When problems arise, people often demand legislation, but law alone may not solve underlying issues.
In simple terms: People rush to laws when things go wrong.
Key Takeaway
Consider non‑legislative solutions.
Themes
policy
law
human behavior
economics
decision making
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- government response
- public debate
- community initiatives
- private sector innovation
Key Concepts
regulatory response
public policy
behavioral economics
Questions to Reflect On
- What problems are better solved by market mechanisms?
- When is legislation truly necessary?
A Different Perspective
Laws can be ineffective without cultural change.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
![“[Islam] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left for Muslims lies in their observance of the God-made law.” quote by Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/704/abul-a-la-maududi-51903_function_islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislatio_886.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
