--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not a capitalist in the simplistic…" description: "\"“I am not a capitalist in the simplistic left/right sense. But I do believe in the power of the global free-market economy and in using capitalist tool..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/muhammad-yunus-2158_capitalist_i-am-not-a-capitalist-in-the-simplistic_2604062.jpg" --- # I am not a capitalist in the simplistic left/right sense… ![“I am not a capitalist in the simplistic left/right sense. But I do believe in the power of the global free-market economy and in using capitalist tools. I believe in the power of teh free market and the power of capital in the marketplace. I also believe that providing unemployment benefits is not…” quote by Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/muhammad-yunus-2158_capitalist_i-am-not-a-capitalist-in-the-simplistic_2604062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/muhammad-yunus-2158_capitalist_i-am-not-a-capitalist-in-the-simplistic_2604062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/muhammad-yunus-2158_capitalist_i-am-not-a-capitalist-in-the-simplistic_2604062.jpg) > ““I am not a capitalist in the simplistic left/right sense. But I do believe in the power of the global free-market economy and in using capitalist tools. I believe in the power of teh free market and the power of capital in the marketplace. I also believe that providing unemployment benefits is not the best way to address poverty. The able-bodied poor don't wan tor need charity. The dole only increases their misery, robs them of incentive and, more important, of self-respect.”” [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects simple capitalism labels, supports market tools, but argues welfare can erode dignity and incentive. **In simple terms:** Supports markets, warns welfare can harm self‑respect. Key Takeaway Balance market freedom with dignity‑preserving aid. Themes economics poverty welfare capitalism human dignity Mood critical reflective Type economic social When to use this quote - economic policy - social entrepreneurship Key Concepts social entrepreneurship policy design labor markets Questions to Reflect On - How can aid empower without undermining self‑respect? - What alternatives preserve dignity? A Different Perspective Welfare may reduce motivation for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Free market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market/) ## Related quotes > [Our tragedy today is not just that millions of people who called themselves communist or socialist were physically liquidated in Vietnam, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/our-tragedy-today-is-not-just-that-millions-of-people-who-called/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Economists have provided capitalists with a comforting concept called the "free market." It does not describe any part of reality, at any place or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-s-herman/economists-have-provided-capitalists-with-a-comforting-concept-called/) [Edward S. 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Bigness is not the issue. Poor people are the ones who take challenges every day. The guy who sells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/what-is-entrepreneurship-after-all-bigness-is-not-the-issue-poor/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/here-we-were-talking-about-economic-development-about-investing/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [All human beings are very creative - full of potential, full of energy... So, money kind of allows them to express it... And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/all-human-beings-are-very-creative-full-of-potential-full-of-energy/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Credit markets were originally created to serve human needs; to provide businesses and individuals with capital to start or expand businesses or fulfill other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/credit-markets-were-originally-created-to-serve-human-needs-to/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [We have a list of human rights - right to food, right to shelter, right to health, right to education, many such items which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/we-have-a-list-of-human-rights-right-to-food-right-to-shelter-right/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [If we are looking for one single action which will enable the poor to overcome their poverty, I would go for credit. 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Along with that sense of scarcity, or feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/capitalism-has-created-a-situation-called-scarcity-and-that-scarcity/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/) Davis McCaughey > [When you come from a family of communists and you go through your teenage rebellion, what's the best way of rebelling from a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/when-you-come-from-a-family-of-communists-and-you-go-through-your/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [The Enron scandal calls into question the integrity of the entire capitalist system, which previously we assumed was based on honest, straightforward greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-achenbach/the-enron-scandal-calls-into-question-the-integrity-of-the-entire/) [Joel Achenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-achenbach/) > [Human beings were behaving as human beings and not as cogs in the capitalist machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/human-beings-were-behaving-as-human-beings-and-not-as-cogs-in-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Beautiful women must think about their beauty as capitalists think about their investments or politicians about their majorities; it is all they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/beautiful-women-must-think-about-their-beauty-as-capitalists-think/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) Browse all 968 Capitalist quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am not a capitalist in the simplistic left/right sense. 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