--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes it [economics] most…" description: "\"What makes it [economics] most fascinating is that its fundamental principles are so simple that they can be written on one page, that anyone can under..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/milton-friedman-616_economics_what-makes-it-economics-most-fascinating_1931525.png" --- # What makes it \[economics\] most fascinating is that its… ![“What makes it [economics] most fascinating is that its fundamental principles are so simple that they can be written on one page, that anyone can understand them, and yet very few do.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/milton-friedman-616_economics_what-makes-it-economics-most-fascinating_1931525.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/milton-friedman-616_economics_what-makes-it-economics-most-fascinating_1931525.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/milton-friedman-616_economics_what-makes-it-economics-most-fascinating_1931525.png) > “What makes it \[economics\] most fascinating is that its fundamental principles are so simple that they can be written on one page, that anyone can understand them, and yet very few do.” [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. Economics is powerful yet simple, but most people fail to grasp its basics. **In simple terms:** Economics is simple but misunderstood. Key Takeaway Study core principles directly. Themes economics education misunderstanding Mood thoughtful critical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - high school economics class - policy briefing - personal finance planning - public lecture - media interview Key Concepts principles simplicity public understanding Questions to Reflect On - Why do people ignore basic economic truths? - How can education simplify economics? A Different Perspective Complex real-world issues can obscure simple fundamentals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Fundamental principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental-principles/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) ## Related quotes > [My principles are simple. Protect the Earth. Serve the People, and Explore the Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/my-principles-are-simple-protect-the-earth-serve-the-people-and/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [Libertarian principles are very simple, but you can't violate any of them and still call yourself Libertarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/libertarian-principles-are-very-simple-but-you-can-t-violate-any-of/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [Temporary deviations from fundamental principles are always more or less dangerous. When the first pretext fails, those who become interested in prolonging the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/temporary-deviations-from-fundamental-principles-are-always-more-or/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Let each of us accept the truth of the following statement and try to make it our most fundamental principle: Christ's teaching will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/let-each-of-us-accept-the-truth-of-the-following-statement-and-try-to/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [What is the structure of government that will best guard against the precipitate counsels and factious combinations for unjust purposes, without a sacrifice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/what-is-the-structure-of-government-that-will-best-guard-against-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Education belongs pre-eminently to the church ... neutral or lay schools from which religion is excluded are contrary to the fundamental principles of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-xi/education-belongs-pre-eminently-to-the-church-neutral-or-lay-schools/) [Pope Pius XI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-xi/) > [ It is one thing to be subordinate to the laws, and another \[for the Executive\] to be dependent on the legislative body. The first… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-one-thing-to-be-subordinate-to-the-laws-and-another-for-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/one-of-the-grand-fundamental-principles-of-mormonism-is-to-receive/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [The old fundamental principles must continue to apply, even in our changing society: Democracy knows neither master nor slave. Equal education opportunities for all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/the-old-fundamental-principles-must-continue-to-apply-even-in-our/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Geometry, like arithmetic, requires for its logical development only a small number of simple, fundamental principles. 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In Newspeak there is no word for 'Science.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-oceania-at-the-present-day-science-in-the-old-sense-has-almost/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Kantian ethical theory distinguishes three levels: First, that of a fundamental principle (the categorical imperative, formulated in three main ways in Kant's Groundwork); second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kantian-ethical-theory-distinguishes-three-levels-first-that-of-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [The Fundamental Principle that governs - or ought to govern -human affairs if we wish to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, or pointless utopias, is negotiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-fundamental-principle-that-governs-or-ought-to-govern-human/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [ The fundamental principle \[of settlement work\] remains: that people shall take up their residence in industrial communities, giving what they may have of public… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-wald/the-fundamental-principle-of-settlement-work-remains-that-people/) [Lillian Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-wald/) ## 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 Economics quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. 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This is a lesson we learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/our-engagement-through-international-economics-trade-these-trade/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [“The free-market economy and globalisation process have brought about, in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, a sharp and sudden rise in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaakov-malkin/the-free-market-economy-and-globalisation-process-have-brought-about/) Yaakov Malkin > [“Everything economic science posits as given, that is, the range of dispositions of the economic agent which ground the illusion of the ahistorical universality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-bourdieu/everything-economic-science-posits-as-given-that-is-the-range-of/) [Pierre Bourdieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-bourdieu/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Having an economy that works for the 99% is achievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-byanyima/having-an-economy-that-works-for-the-99-is-achievable/) [Winnie Byanyima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-byanyima/) > [“a select group of high-performing companies have managed to close the strategy-to-performance gap through better planning and execution. These companies—Barclays, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mankins/a-select-group-of-high-performing-companies-have-managed-to-close-the/) [Michael C. 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Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Economists have a singular method of procedure. There are only two kinds of institutions for them, artificial and natural. 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