---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consequences matter more than intentions…"
description: "\"Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the immediate consequences, but also the longer run repercussions of decisions, policies, and in..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg"
---

#  Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the…

![“Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the immediate consequences, but also the longer run repercussions of decisions, policies, and institutions.” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg)

> “Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the immediate consequences, but also the longer run repercussions of decisions, policies, and institutions.”

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

## About This Quote

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

Outcomes matter more than intent; long‑term effects of policies outweigh immediate motives.

**In simple terms:** Consequences outweigh intentions over time.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize long‑term impact over short‑term intent.

Themes

policy consequences ethics

Mood

analytical serious

Type

economic ethical

When to use this quote

- government legislation
- business decisions
- social programs
- environmental regulation

Key Concepts

long‑term analysis policy evaluation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can policymakers balance intent with impact?
- What mechanisms ensure accountability for long‑term effects?

A Different Perspective

Intentions can still guide moral behavior.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequences/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Repercussions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repercussions/)

## Related quotes

> [“We have to remember that not every action taken to solve a problem will be free of unforeseen consequences. No matter how good our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-fischer/we-have-to-remember-that-not-every-action-taken-to-solve-a-problem/)

Rachel Fischer

> [I accept the consequences of all that I do. No matter what we do with our lives, our bodies are temporary. We're all going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bachar/i-accept-the-consequences-of-all-that-i-do-no-matter-what-we-do-with/)

[John Bachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bachar/)

> [“Economics is more than just a way to see patterns or to unravel puzzling anomalies. Its fundamental concern is with the material standard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/economics-is-more-than-just-a-way-to-see-patterns-or-to-unravel/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Not all intelligence can be artificial now, so if we make a mistake, the consequences are no longer simply located within an institution or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/not-all-intelligence-can-be-artificial-now-so-if-we-make-a-mistake/)

[William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/)

> [“as per the law of unintended consequences, no matter what people’s intention when they do something, they rarely know what the ultimate outcome of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/as-per-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-no-matter-what-people-s/)

[James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/)

> [“Good, bad, they're just words. Who's to decide what is good or bad? In the end, only the consequences matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-grover-swank/good-bad-they-re-just-words-who-s-to-decide-what-is-good-or-bad-in/)

[Denise Grover Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-grover-swank/)

> [“The fear of getting knocked down is less about the pain of the fall and more about the embarrassment in having fallen. And so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fear-of-getting-knocked-down-is-less-about-the-pain-of-the-fall/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [“Despite how painful it might have been, the chapter that we wrote today is never the conclusion that we are forced to live out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/despite-how-painful-it-might-have-been-the-chapter-that-we-wrote/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [This is how to avoid re-creating painful situations: Take the time to discover your real intention before you act. If it is to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/this-is-how-to-avoid-re-creating-painful-situations-take-the-time-to/)

[Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/)

> [Failure is a big part of a free market's success. People fail to live up to their potential, or to carry out all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/failure-is-a-big-part-of-a-free-market-s-success-people-fail-to-live/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [The welfare state has always been judged by its good intentions, rather than its bad results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-welfare-state-has-always-been-judged-by-its-good-intentions/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Today, any action anywhere on earth has an immediate repercussion on all five continents. News of a victory of the Eastern armies in Morocco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/today-any-action-anywhere-on-earth-has-an-immediate-repercussion-on/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [It sucks for me, because now I have to not be as crazy as I am on the Internet. Which totally sucks, because it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/it-sucks-for-me-because-now-i-have-to-not-be-as-crazy-as-i-am-on-the/)

[Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/)

> [The deciphering of ancient scripts changed forever the way Europeans were able to imagine the story of humanity, destroying centuries of received authority about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/the-deciphering-of-ancient-scripts-changed-forever-the-way-europeans/)

[Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/)

> [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/)

[Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/)

## More by Thomas Sowell

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

[Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

## More Choices quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

Alison James

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [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/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/)

[Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/)

> [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/)

[Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/)

> [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/)

[Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/)

> [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

[Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the immediate consequences, but also the longer run repercussions of decisions, policies, and institutions.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thomas Sowell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/consequences-matter-more-than-intentions-and-not-just-the-immediate/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Choices"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/consequences-matter-more-than-intentions-and-not-just-the-immediate/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/thomas-sowell-247_choices_consequences-matter-more-than-intentions_2742348.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Consequences matter more than intentions, and not just the immediate consequences, but also the longer run…” — Thomas Sowell",
                "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": "Thomas Sowell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Consequences matter more than intentions, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/consequences-matter-more-than-intentions-and-not-just-the-immediate/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/consequences-matter-more-than-intentions-and-not-just-the-immediate/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```