---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism…"
description: "\"Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a long-term perspective, and second, to re-set the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png"
---

#  Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us…

![“Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a long-term perspective, and second, to re-set the priorities of business.” quote by Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png)

> “Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a long-term perspective, and second, to re-set the priorities of business.”

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Capitalism must shift to long‑term thinking and realigned business priorities for sustainability.

**In simple terms:** Change capitalism by focusing on future and values.

Key Takeaway

Adopt long‑term, purpose‑driven strategies.

Themes

economics ethics leadership strategy

Mood

thoughtful optimistic strategic

Type

policy leadership philosophical

When to use this quote

- corporate planning
- policy advocacy
- investment decisions

Key Concepts

systems thinking stakeholder capitalism future planning

Questions to Reflect On

- What incentives encourage long‑term business planning?
- How can companies measure success beyond profit?

A Different Perspective

Transition may face resistance from profit‑focused stakeholders.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Addressing Weaknesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addressing-weaknesses-5613744/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalism Require](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-require-5613741/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Perspective Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective-second-5613745/) [Priorities Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities-business-5613743/) [Weaknesses Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weaknesses-capitalism-5613742/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/)

## Related quotes

> [Capitalism has its weaknesses. But it is capitalism that ended the stranglehold of the hereditary aristocracies, raised the standard of living for most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/capitalism-has-its-weaknesses-but-it-is-capitalism-that-ended-the/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [“Scholars have long debated whether capital markets lead to appropriate levels of saving and investment for future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-weimer/scholars-have-long-debated-whether-capital-markets-lead-to/)

[David L. Weimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-weimer/)

> [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/)

[Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/)

> [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/)

[Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/)

> [There are no two countries with the same style of economic mechanism, with the same capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/there-are-no-two-countries-with-the-same-style-of-economic-mechanism/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/capitalism-communism-it-s-all-garbage/)

[Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/)

> [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/)

[F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/)

> [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/)

[Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

## More by Paul Polman

> [Renewable energy could reduce emissions but also create jobs and improve public health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/renewable-energy-could-reduce-emissions-but-also-create-jobs-and/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [When women are provided with training and entrepreneurial opportunities in distribution networks, they become role models in their communities, showing it is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/when-women-are-provided-with-training-and-entrepreneurial/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [Companies are the first to see the costs of climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/companies-are-the-first-to-see-the-costs-of-climate-change/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [I don't subscribe to, 'Here are the top ten tips to successful leadership,' or, 'How to learn leadership in ten minutes.' A leader is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-don-t-subscribe-to-here-are-the-top-ten-tips-to-successful/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [I grew up in a small town in the Netherlands which, for years, had been a center of textile production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-grew-up-in-a-small-town-in-the-netherlands-which-for-years-had-been/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [I do not work for the shareholder, to be honest. I work for the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-do-not-work-for-the-shareholder-to-be-honest-i-work-for-the-customer/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [The moment you discover in life that it's not about yourself, that it is about investing in others, I think you're entering a steadier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/the-moment-you-discover-in-life-that-it-s-not-about-yourself-that-it/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [In certain cases, empowering women starts with making their lives easier and removing unnecessary burdens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/in-certain-cases-empowering-women-starts-with-making-their-lives/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [When the climate hurts, people and businesses also feel the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/when-the-climate-hurts-people-and-businesses-also-feel-the-pain/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [As CEO of Unilever, my personal mission is to galvanize our company to be an effective force for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/as-ceo-of-unilever-my-personal-mission-is-to-galvanize-our-company-to/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [At the end of the day, people will follow you or people will be energised by you if they buy into your vision or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/at-the-end-of-the-day-people-will-follow-you-or-people-will-be/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [I discovered a long time ago that if I focus on doing the right thing for the long term to improve the lives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-discovered-a-long-time-ago-that-if-i-focus-on-doing-the-right-thing/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [Practically, systemic thinking can be used to identify problems, analyze their boundaries, design strategies and policy interventions, forecast and measure their expected impacts, implement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/practically-systemic-thinking-can-be-used-to-identify-problems/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [I work a lot with blind people in my spare time outside of Unilever, and I count my blessings every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-work-a-lot-with-blind-people-in-my-spare-time-outside-of-unilever/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

> [If we achieve our sustainability targets and no one else follows, we will have failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/if-we-achieve-our-sustainability-targets-and-no-one-else-follows-we/)

[Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

[Explore all 123 Paul Polman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a long-term perspective, and second, to re-set the priorities of business.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Polman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism-will-require-us-above-all-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism-will-require-us-above-all-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/paul-polman-3721_business_addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism_2332274.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a…” — Paul Polman",
                "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": "Paul Polman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism-will-require-us-above-all-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/addressing-the-weaknesses-of-capitalism-will-require-us-above-all-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
