---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a sense, Britain inadvertently…"
description: "\"In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in Hong Kong, did more to reduce world poverty than all the aid programs that we’ve undertaken i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg"
---

#  In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in…

![“In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in Hong Kong, did more to reduce world poverty than all the aid programs that we’ve undertaken in the last century,” quote by Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg)

> “In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in Hong Kong, did more to reduce world poverty than all the aid programs that we’ve undertaken in the last century,”

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

## About This Quote

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

Britain’s Hong Kong policies unintentionally reduced global poverty more than formal aid programs over a century.

**In simple terms:** Policy actions can have larger impacts than aid.

Key Takeaway

Leverage unintended positive outcomes.

Themes

economics policy poverty reduction

Mood

analytical strategic

Type

economic historical

When to use this quote

- foreign policy
- development aid
- trade agreements

Key Concepts

unintended consequences global development historical impact

Questions to Reflect On

- What policies could be designed to maximize positive side‑effects?
- How can we measure indirect impacts of historical actions?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on unintended effects may be unpredictable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Hong kong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hong-kong/) [Inadvertently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inadvertently/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-poverty/)

## Related quotes

> [“Maybe your college professor taught that the legacy of colonialism explains Third World poverty. That’s nonsense as well. Canada was a colony. So were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-williams/maybe-your-college-professor-taught-that-the-legacy-of-colonialism/)

[Walter Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-williams/)

> [Almsgiving tends to perpetuate poverty; aid does away with it once and for all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evita-peron/almsgiving-tends-to-perpetuate-poverty-aid-does-away-with-it-once-and-2/)

[Evita Peron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evita-peron/)

> [Moyo, a Zambia-born economist, asserts that aid is not only ineffective-it's harmful. Her argument packs a strong punch because she was born and raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lockwood/moyo-a-zambia-born-economist-asserts-that-aid-is-not-only-ineffective/)

[Amy Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lockwood/)

> [“What we call aid money serves only to strengthen the structures that generate poverty. Aid money never reaches those victims who, having lost their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majid-rahnema/what-we-call-aid-money-serves-only-to-strengthen-the-structures-that/)

Majid Rahnema

> [In the 1950s, Hong Kong was a place where millions of people could go, from the mainland, to start in jobs like sewing shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-the-1950s-hong-kong-was-a-place-where-millions-of-people-could-go/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [Fortunately, I am accustomed to creating amusement inadvertently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/fortunately-i-am-accustomed-to-creating-amusement-inadvertently/)

[Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/)

> [With its missed lines and falling tombstones, 'Dark Shadows' was sometimes inadvertently funny, but what made the show work was the fact that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-mann/with-its-missed-lines-and-falling-tombstones-dark-shadows-was/)

[William J. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-mann/)

> [If children can't handle competition when it's necessary, or take some criticism, or never strive to be better because their parents inadvertently programmed them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lz-granderson/if-children-can-t-handle-competition-when-it-s-necessary-or-take-some/)

[LZ Granderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lz-granderson/)

> [One of the things about politics, when you're actually there, you realize, you're on a high wire and there is no net under you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/one-of-the-things-about-politics-when-you-re-actually-there-you/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

> [I haven't read a lot of science fiction, and I never intend to write it; it seems to happen a little bit inadvertently for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-haven-t-read-a-lot-of-science-fiction-and-i-never-intend-to-write/)

[Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/)

> [“Sometimes, you find yourself inadvertently in the dark. But I’d discovered that if you stopped fighting against it and just stood still, sometimes something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-jacobs/sometimes-you-find-yourself-inadvertently-in-the-dark-but-i-d/)

[Holly Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-jacobs/)

> [Seve Ballesteros was the best trouble-shot player who ever lived. It didn't matter how far in the woods you put that guy, he'd find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-trevino/seve-ballesteros-was-the-best-trouble-shot-player-who-ever-lived-it/)

[Lee Trevino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-trevino/)

> [For most of my life, I did deliberately lead a private life and inadvertently led a public life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/for-most-of-my-life-i-did-deliberately-lead-a-private-life-and/)

[Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/)

> [I will say that my days are spent solitary and somewhat lost in thought, and every single time I inadvertently wear my shirt inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-will-say-that-my-days-are-spent-solitary-and-somewhat-lost-in/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [I had inadvertently walked through a door that I shouldn’t have gone through and couldn’t get back to the place I hadn’t meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-maxwell/i-had-inadvertently-walked-through-a-door-that-i-shouldn-t-have-gone/)

[William Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-maxwell/)

## More by Paul Romer

> [Charter Cities has been approached in many different ways, by many people acting as individuals or as representatives of organizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/charter-cities-has-been-approached-in-many-different-ways-by-many/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [For a nation, the choices that determine whether income doubles in one generation or two dwarf all other economic policy concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/for-a-nation-the-choices-that-determine-whether-income-doubles-in-one/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [Unfortunately, we don't have a bankruptcy process. Suppose the state actually just gets to the point where it cannot meet all of its promises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/unfortunately-we-don-t-have-a-bankruptcy-process-suppose-the-state/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [I'd rather live in a world where firms don't have these enormous incentives to spy on individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/i-d-rather-live-in-a-world-where-firms-don-t-have-these-enormous/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [When we speak of institutions, economists mean more than just organizations. We mean conventions, even rules, about how things are done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/when-we-speak-of-institutions-economists-mean-more-than-just/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [Good law includes a commitment to transparency and an insistence that no person or entity with a conflict of interest should have influence on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/good-law-includes-a-commitment-to-transparency-and-an-insistence-that/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [No one from Charter Cities, can have any financial interest in any project in Honduras; no one can accept consulting fees from the Honduran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/no-one-from-charter-cities-can-have-any-financial-interest-in-any/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [In the 1950s, Hong Kong was a place where millions of people could go, from the mainland, to start in jobs like sewing shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-the-1950s-hong-kong-was-a-place-where-millions-of-people-could-go/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [In the developing world, most people don't yet live in big well-run cities. Given the chance to move to one, hundreds of millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-the-developing-world-most-people-don-t-yet-live-in-big-well-run/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [Fracking is an amazing instance of discovery of many things that come together to make it much cheaper to extract oil and gas. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/fracking-is-an-amazing-instance-of-discovery-of-many-things-that-come/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [My number-one recommendation is to invest in people. Humans that are well trained are the inputs into this discovery process. And there's big opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/my-number-one-recommendation-is-to-invest-in-people-humans-that-are/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [After 1960, anyone who wanted to discuss almost any aspect of U.S. public policy - from how to make cars safer to whether to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/after-1960-anyone-who-wanted-to-discuss-almost-any-aspect-of-u-s/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [The economy is this huge innovation discovery machine. What the government can do usefully is to focus some of that effort where things turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/the-economy-is-this-huge-innovation-discovery-machine-what-the/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [One of the most powerful insights in economics is this idea of a division of labor. You do the thing you're good at. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/one-of-the-most-powerful-insights-in-economics-is-this-idea-of-a/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [If you go back to the really long-run questions that interested me, the big question was why, over the centuries, the millennia, has growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/if-you-go-back-to-the-really-long-run-questions-that-interested-me/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

[Explore all 52 Paul Romer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

## More Action quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

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

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/)

[Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/)

> [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/)

[Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/)

> [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

[Browse all 14,940 Action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in Hong Kong, did more to reduce world poverty than all the aid programs that we’ve undertaken in the last century,",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Romer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through-its-actions-in-hong-kong-did/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Action"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through-its-actions-in-hong-kong-did/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/paul-romer-12969_action_in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through_1099019.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through its actions in Hong Kong, did more to reduce world poverty than…” — Paul Romer",
                "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 Romer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In a sense, Britain inadvertently, through...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through-its-actions-in-hong-kong-did/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-a-sense-britain-inadvertently-through-its-actions-in-hong-kong-did/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
