Common Quote by Norman O. Brown
“In its famous paradox, the equation of money and excrement, psychoanalysis becomes the first science to state what common sense and the poets have long known - that the essence of money is in its absolute worthlessness.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Love and Reason: The Complete Works of Norman O. Brown, 1970
Money is fundamentally meaningless, a social construct that only gains value through collective belief.
In simple terms: Money has no intrinsic value.
Key Takeaway
Recognize money's symbolic nature.
Themes
economics
philosophy
psychology
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- financial decisions
- political discourse
- personal budgeting
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
social construct
value theory
psychoanalysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing money's emptiness affect your spending?
- Can value be created without belief?
A Different Perspective
The abstraction may overlook practical utility of money in daily life.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
