--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The public good is promoted best by…" description: "\"The public good is promoted best by people pursuing their own private interests. This bothers some people because they're more concerned with motives t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/walter-e-williams-2709_bother_the-public-good-is-promoted-best-by-peop_1361567.png" --- # The public good is promoted best by people pursuing their… ![“The public good is promoted best by people pursuing their own private interests. This bothers some people because they're more concerned with motives than with results.” quote by Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/walter-e-williams-2709_bother_the-public-good-is-promoted-best-by-peop_1361567.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/walter-e-williams-2709_bother_the-public-good-is-promoted-best-by-peop_1361567.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/walter-e-williams-2709_bother_the-public-good-is-promoted-best-by-peop_1361567.png) > “The public good is promoted best by people pursuing their own private interests. This bothers some people because they're more concerned with motives than with results.” [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People acting in self‑interest unintentionally create benefits for society, outweighing concerns about motives. **In simple terms:** Self‑interest can yield public good. Key Takeaway Leverage personal incentives for societal gain. Themes economics public policy human behavior Mood analytical critical Type economic philosophical When to use this quote - business decisions - public policy design - community projects Key Concepts liberalism invisible hand motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can we align private gains with public outcomes? - When do private motives undermine collective benefit? A Different Perspective Motives still matter for trust and fairness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) [Bothers People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothers-people-235660/) [Concerned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned/) [Concerned Motives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned-motives-4662286/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Private Interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-interests-394039/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) [Pursuing Private](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuing-private-4662287/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) ## Related quotes > [“The public good must come before private interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-public-good-must-come-before-private-interests/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [How can there ever possibly be a conflict between my private interests and the public good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/how-can-there-ever-possibly-be-a-conflict-between-my-private/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [The prison industrial complex is perhaps, at least domestically, the most striking example of us putting profit before people. It all stems from one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/the-prison-industrial-complex-is-perhaps-at-least-domestically-the/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [The true liberty of the press is amply secured by permitting every man to publish his opinion; but it is due to the peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mckean/the-true-liberty-of-the-press-is-amply-secured-by-permitting-every/) [Thomas McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mckean/) > [I don't use my money to gain political influence for my private interests, which is what many rich people do, and what, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/i-don-t-use-my-money-to-gain-political-influence-for-my-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [If the Government gets into business on any large scale, we soon find that the beneficiaries attempt to play a large part in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/if-the-government-gets-into-business-on-any-large-scale-we-soon-find/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Anybody who cares about the functioning of democracy should be concerned about the blurring of lines between public and private interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-stille/anybody-who-cares-about-the-functioning-of-democracy-should-be/) [Alexander Stille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-stille/) > [Our entire political system is financed by wealthy private interests buying politicians and making sure the rules are written in their favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/our-entire-political-system-is-financed-by-wealthy-private-interests/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Each pursues his private interest and only his private interest; and thereby serves the private interests of all, the general interest, without willing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/each-pursues-his-private-interest-and-only-his-private-interest-and/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Since there is no such entity as 'the public,' since the public is merely a number of individuals, the idea that 'the public interest'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/since-there-is-no-such-entity-as-the-public-since-the-public-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I'm still going to do television. I'm just not going to do morning television. I would like to do some things that satisfy interests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-gumbel/i-m-still-going-to-do-television-i-m-just-not-going-to-do-morning/) [Bryant Gumbel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-gumbel/) > [When liberty is mentioned, we must always be careful to observe whether it is not really the assertion of private interests which is thereby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/when-liberty-is-mentioned-we-must-always-be-careful-to-observe/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [It's not controversial to say that private donors come with private interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslyn-lewis/it-s-not-controversial-to-say-that-private-donors-come-with-private/) [Leslyn Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslyn-lewis/) > [No public interest is anything other or nobler than a massed accumulation of private interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/no-public-interest-is-anything-other-or-nobler-than-a-massed/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I have a cause higher and nobler than my own, a cause to which all private interests and concerns must be subordinated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-khaled/i-have-a-cause-higher-and-nobler-than-my-own-a-cause-to-which-all/) [Leila Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-khaled/) ## More by Walter E. Williams > [Vote for me. I'll use my office to take another American's money and give it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/vote-for-me-i-ll-use-my-office-to-take-another-american-s-money-and/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Elect me to office. I will protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. Because there's no constitutional authority for Congress spending on the objects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/elect-me-to-office-i-will-protect-and-defend-the-u-s-constitution/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [More important than anything else is for Americans to wise up to class warfare demagoguery and reject the politics of envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/more-important-than-anything-else-is-for-americans-to-wise-up-to/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Wal-Mart has become the whipping boy for political demagogues, unions and anti-traders. I suggest that they have the wrong target… Wal-Mart exists and prospers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/wal-mart-has-become-the-whipping-boy-for-political-demagogues-unions/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [When the Founders thought of democracy, they saw democracy in the political sphere - a sphere strictly limited by the Constitution's well-defined and enumerated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/when-the-founders-thought-of-democracy-they-saw-democracy-in-the/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Reaching into one's own pocket to assist his fellow man is noble and worthy of praise. Reaching into another person's pocket to assist one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/reaching-into-one-s-own-pocket-to-assist-his-fellow-man-is-noble-and/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [If there's a distinct group of Americans who harbor open contempt for constitutional principles and rule of law, it's lawyers, judges and members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/if-there-s-a-distinct-group-of-americans-who-harbor-open-contempt-for/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Conservatives and liberals are kindred spirits as far as government spending is concerned. First, let's make sure we understand what government spending is. Since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/conservatives-and-liberals-are-kindred-spirits-as-far-as-government/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Students who are alien and hostile to the education process ought to be removed. You say, "What will we do with them?" I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/students-who-are-alien-and-hostile-to-the-education-process-ought-to/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Minimum-wage laws are one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of racists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/minimum-wage-laws-are-one-of-the-most-powerful-tools-in-the-arsenal/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [What we call the market is really a democratic process involving millions, and in some markets billions, of people making personal decisions that express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/what-we-call-the-market-is-really-a-democratic-process-involving/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [The bottom line is that the true test of one's commitment to freedom of association doesn't come when he allows people to associate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/the-bottom-line-is-that-the-true-test-of-one-s-commitment-to-freedom/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [The difference between a thief and a congressman: When a thief steals your money, he doesn't expect you to thank him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/the-difference-between-a-thief-and-a-congressman-when-a-thief-steals/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [The global warming scare has provided a field day for politicians and others who wish to control our lives. After all, only the imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/the-global-warming-scare-has-provided-a-field-day-for-politicians-and/) [Walter E. 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