---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that the market is not doing…"
description: "\"The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.\" — Thomas Sowell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg"
---

#  The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it…

![“The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg)

> “The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.”

[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.

The quote warns that market failures do not automatically imply government superiority.

**In simple terms:** Market failure ≠ government solution.

Key Takeaway

Don’t assume government is better when markets falter.

Themes

economics politics policy critical thinking skepticism

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

analytical advice

When to use this quote

- investment strategy
- public policy
- personal finance

Key Concepts

market dynamics government intervention policy analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- When should government intervene?
- How can markets be improved?

A Different Perspective

Government solutions can be inefficient or biased.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [Every time I see you its like if I was in another world; know why? Because you are the best thing ever. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-time-i-see-you-its-like-if-i-was-in-another-world-know-why/)

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

> [It is like we are obliged to assume that the government is only doing what it says it is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/it-is-like-we-are-obliged-to-assume-that-the-government-is-only-doing/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [We shouldn't assume that government is always trying to do the wrong thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-shouldn-t-assume-that-government-is-always-trying-to-do-the-wrong/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“It is strange to me that most people assume companies will be imperfect (as they are), but they assume that government agencies will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/it-is-strange-to-me-that-most-people-assume-companies-will-be/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [John Maynard Keynes essentially said, don't try and figure out what the market is doing. Figure out a business you understand, and concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/john-maynard-keynes-essentially-said-don-t-try-and-figure-out-what/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [What the market is doing is going through a correction, which it really needed. It's getting down to where it's reasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/what-the-market-is-doing-is-going-through-a-correction-which-it/)

Ted Martinez

> [I am the largest market shareholder of clothing in the U.K. and I am not a destination shop for food. If the clothing market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-am-the-largest-market-shareholder-of-clothing-in-the-u-k-and-i-am/)

[Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/)

> [If you jump into a market when everyone else is doing the same thing, you're probably too late. On the other hand, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-maloney/if-you-jump-into-a-market-when-everyone-else-is-doing-the-same-thing/)

[Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/)

> [One, which I mention several times elsewhere, is the need for patience if big profits are to be made from investment. Put another way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-which-i-mention-several-times-elsewhere-is-the-need-for-patience/)

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

> [There is no part of government which cannot better suffer derangement than the ballot. If you strike the ballot with disease, it is heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/there-is-no-part-of-government-which-cannot-better-suffer-derangement/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [Republicans should save the clip of Jonathan Gruber and run it over and over again in the run-up to the 2016 election. This attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/republicans-should-save-the-clip-of-jonathan-gruber-and-run-it-over/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [On housing, education and skills, health and social care, transport and economic development, local government is better placed to make decisions in the interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/on-housing-education-and-skills-health-and-social-care-transport-and/)

[Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/)

> [My philosophy is not a bean-counting, accounting 'look at this.' It is a philosophy that smaller government is better government, and government that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/my-philosophy-is-not-a-bean-counting-accounting-look-at-this-it-is-a/)

[John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/)

> [The Obama presidency, and liberalism in general, are based on not trusting the American people - a belief that big government is better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/the-obama-presidency-and-liberalism-in-general-are-based-on-not/)

[Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/)

> [Big-government proponents embrace both the power of the federal government and the idea that millions of Americans ought to be dependent on its largesse.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/big-government-proponents-embrace-both-the-power-of-the-federal/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

## 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 Assuming quotes

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/)

James T. Conway

> [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/)

[Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/)

[Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/)

> [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/)

[Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/)

> [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/)

[Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/)

> [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/)

[Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/)

> [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thomas Sowell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-what-we-wish-it-would-do-is-no/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assuming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-what-we-wish-it-would-do-is-no/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-sowell-247_assuming_the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-wh_2027878.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the…” — 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": "The fact that the market is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-what-we-wish-it-would-do-is-no/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-fact-that-the-market-is-not-doing-what-we-wish-it-would-do-is-no/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
