--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every person shall be free to do good '…" description: "\"Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense.\" — Milton Friedman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png" --- # Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense. ![“Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png) > “Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Individuals may act for good, but they must bear the personal cost of their choices. **In simple terms:** Good deeds cost the do themselves. Key Takeaway Accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions. Themes ethics individualism freedom responsibility Mood analytical thoughtful Type economic ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - entrepreneurship - public policy Key Concepts economics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to seek help for good deeds? - How does personal cost influence altruism? A Different Perspective Collective support can offset personal costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-good-553201/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Good Expense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-expense-1855209/) [Person Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-shall-4658056/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Shall Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-free-368014/) ## Related quotes > [It's always tempting to do good at someone else's expense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-s-always-tempting-to-do-good-at-someone-else-s-expense/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Power always protects the good of some at the expense of all others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/power-always-protects-the-good-of-some-at-the-expense-of-all-others/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“When there is greed within; a person shall fall into societal influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/when-there-is-greed-within-a-person-shall-fall-into-societal-influence/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [I own my life. And only mine. And so I shall appreciate my person. And so I shall make proper use of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-beebe-hill/i-own-my-life-and-only-mine-and-so-i-shall-appreciate-my-person-and/) [Ruth Beebe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-beebe-hill/) > [Never do any work for free or get any work done for free if you are good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher/never-do-any-work-for-free-or-get-any-work-done-for-free-if-you-are/) [Mazher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher/) > [God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go either wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-lewis/god-created-things-which-had-free-will-that-means-creatures-which-can/) [CS Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-lewis/) > [Knowledge is a free good. The biggest cost in its transmission is not in the production or distribution of knowledge, but in its assimilation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/knowledge-is-a-free-good-the-biggest-cost-in-its-transmission-is-not/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) > [“You are given this life for free. By the Divine. Value it. For nothing in this world is given to us free. So be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakeer-ishavardas/you-are-given-this-life-for-free-by-the-divine-value-it-for-nothing/) [Fakeer Ishavardas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fakeer-ishavardas/) > [Our hands we open of our own free will, and the good flies, which we can never recall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/our-hands-we-open-of-our-own-free-will-and-the-good-flies-which-we/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Free-will cannot will good and of necessity serves sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/free-will-cannot-will-good-and-of-necessity-serves-sin/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [I always want people to feel free to be who they are, to be good to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabitha-brown/i-always-want-people-to-feel-free-to-be-who-they-are-to-be-good-to/) [Tabitha Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabitha-brown/) > [The song stands for a sense of joy in existence, a joy that is free of any good or bad choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-song-stands-for-a-sense-of-joy-in-existence-a-joy-that-is-free-of/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“No marketplace, free or otherwise, is good when it fails to consider the basic human state of needs at every stage of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/no-marketplace-free-or-otherwise-is-good-when-it-fails-to-consider/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [It is not good to be too free. It is not good to have everything one wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/it-is-not-good-to-be-too-free-it-is-not-good-to-have-everything-one/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Free is the best. Anything free is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/free-is-the-best-anything-free-is-good/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Expenses quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) [William Henry Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-pickering/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [we are beginning to understand that this instinct of sex which has been so great a cause of suffering and shame and has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-royden/we-are-beginning-to-understand-that-this-instinct-of-sex-which-has/) [Maude Royden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-royden/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/) [Peter Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cohan/) > [I love working and I feel satisfied when I know I have literally given all the energy that I have. That being said, work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/i-love-working-and-i-feel-satisfied-when-i-know-i-have-literally/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [Distinction is an eminence that is attained but too frequently at the expense of a fireside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/distinction-is-an-eminence-that-is-attained-but-too-frequently-at-the/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [He is happy in his wisdom who has learned at another's expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/he-is-happy-in-his-wisdom-who-has-learned-at-another-s-expense/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [ Here at great expense,' \[Colonel Groves\] moaned to Oppenheimer, 'the government has assembled the world's largest collection of crackpots. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sheinkin/here-at-great-expense-colonel-groves-moaned-to-oppenheimer-the/) [Steve Sheinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sheinkin/) > [Beyond that is the fear that the United States will end up negotiating and agreeing to a deal with Iran. The Israelis do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trita-parsi/beyond-that-is-the-fear-that-the-united-states-will-end-up/) [Trita Parsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trita-parsi/) > [My audience wants to see me beautifully gowned, and I have spared no expense or pains . . . For I feel that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-rainey/my-audience-wants-to-see-me-beautifully-gowned-and-i-have-spared-no/) [Ma Rainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-rainey/) > [Human rights' are a fine thing, but how can we make ourselves sure that our rights do not expand at the expense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/human-rights-are-a-fine-thing-but-how-can-we-make-ourselves-sure-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 958 Expenses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at-his-own-expense/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expenses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at-his-own-expense/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/milton-friedman-616_expenses_every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at_1413241.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every person shall be free to do good ' at his own expense.” — Milton Friedman", "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": "Milton Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every person shall be free to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at-his-own-expense/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/every-person-shall-be-free-to-do-good-at-his-own-expense/#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 } } ] } ```