Asking Quote by Noam Chomsky
“The obvious one, in a market system, in a really functioning one, whoever's making the decisions doesn't pay attention to what are called externalities, effects on others. I sell you a car, if our eyes are open we'll make a good deal for ourselves but we're not asking how it's going to affect her [over there.] It will, there'll be more congestion, gas prices will go up, there will be environmental effects and that multiplies over the whole population. Well, that's very serious.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on economics and externalities, 2015
Market decisions often ignore broader societal impacts, leading to congestion, higher prices, and environmental harm.
In simple terms: Ignoring external effects causes widespread problems.
Key Takeaway
Consider societal impacts in economic choices.
Themes
economics
environment
social responsibility
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
policy discussion
When to use this quote
- government regulation
- corporate accountability
- community planning
Key Concepts
externalities
market failures
public policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can markets internalize external costs?
- What policies best mitigate negative societal impacts?
A Different Perspective
Addressing externalities may increase costs for businesses.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
