---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Forgotten Man works and…"
description: "\"“The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but his chief business in life is to pay.”\" — William Graham Sumner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png"
---

#  The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but…

![“The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but his chief business in life is to pay.” quote by William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png)

> ““The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but his chief business in life is to pay.””

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

## About This Quote

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

The average voter works and pays taxes, yet his primary role is to fund public services.

**In simple terms:** The common citizen works, votes, and funds the state.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the civic contribution of ordinary people.

Themes

politics economics citizenship taxation

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- tax reform
- public budgeting
- civic education

Key Concepts

Public finance social contract democratic participation

Questions to Reflect On

- What responsibilities do citizens have beyond voting?
- How does taxation reflect societal values?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on the “forgotten” can ignore systemic issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [The forgotten man... He works, he votes, generally he prays, but his chief business in life is to pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-he-works-he-votes-generally-he-prays-but-his-chief/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [“Such is the Forgotten Man. He works, he votes, generally he prays—but he always pays—yes, above all, he pays.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/such-is-the-forgotten-man-he-works-he-votes-generally-he-prays-but-he/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The Forgotten Man... delving away in patient industry, supporting his family, paying his taxes, casting his vote, supporting the church and the school... but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-delving-away-in-patient-industry-supporting-his/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The Forgotten Man... works, he votes, generally he prays-but he always pays-yes, above all, he pays. He does not want an office; his name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-works-he-votes-generally-he-prays-but-he-always/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The State cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from some other man, and this latter must be a man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-state-cannot-get-a-cent-for-any-man-without-taking-it-from-some/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The Forgotten Man is delving away in patient industry, supporting his family, paying his taxes, casting his vote, supporting the church and the school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-is-delving-away-in-patient-industry-supporting-his/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [If any student of social science comes to appreciate the case of the Forgotten Man, he will become an unflinching advocate of strict scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/if-any-student-of-social-science-comes-to-appreciate-the-case-of-the/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The State, it cannot be too often repeated, does nothing and can give nothing which it does not take from somebody. The Forgotten Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-state-it-cannot-be-too-often-repeated-does-nothing-and-can-give/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Who is the Forgotten Man? He is the clean, quiet, virtuous, domestic citizen, who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/who-is-the-forgotten-man-he-is-the-clean-quiet-virtuous-domestic/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [“we must not speak of him; we must let him be forgotten. But a man is not forgotten, as long as there are two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/we-must-not-speak-of-him-we-must-let-him-be-forgotten-but-a-man-is/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [The forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-forgotten-man-at-the-bottom-of-the-economic-pyramid/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [“Who is the forgotten man...? I know him as intimately as my own undershirt. He is the fellow that is trying to get along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/who-is-the-forgotten-man-i-know-him-as-intimately-as-my-own/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [“But how could she have forgotten who he was—a man who could lose himself in a single book, not to mention a world-class, open-stack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-masello/but-how-could-she-have-forgotten-who-he-was-a-man-who-could-lose/)

[Robert Masello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-masello/)

> [“Man has not forgotten to be man because man has not yet learned to be man! You can’t forget the thing you haven’t learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/man-has-not-forgotten-to-be-man-because-man-has-not-yet-learned-to-be/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [The marble keeps merely a cold and sad memory of a man who would else be forgotten. No man who needs a monument ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-marble-keeps-merely-a-cold-and-sad-memory-of-a-man-who-would-else/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

## More by William Graham Sumner

> [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [One thing must be granted to the rich: they are goodnatured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/one-thing-must-be-granted-to-the-rich-they-are-goodnatured/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [“Can anyone imagine that the masterfulness, the overbearing disposition, the greed of gain, and the ruthlessness in methods, which are the faults of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/can-anyone-imagine-that-the-masterfulness-the-overbearing-disposition/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The waste of capital, in proportion to the total capital, in this country between 1800 and 1850, in the attempts which were made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-waste-of-capital-in-proportion-to-the-total-capital-in-this/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [We shall find that every effort to realize equality necessitates a sacrifice of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/we-shall-find-that-every-effort-to-realize-equality-necessitates-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Who is the Forgotten Man? He is the clean, quiet, virtuous, domestic citizen, who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/who-is-the-forgotten-man-he-is-the-clean-quiet-virtuous-domestic/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The men who start out with the notion that the world owes them a living generally find that the world pays its 'debt' in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-men-who-start-out-with-the-notion-that-the-world-owes-them-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The taxing power is especially something after which the reformer's finger always itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-taxing-power-is-especially-something-after-which-the-reformer-s/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Great captains of industry are as rare as great generals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/great-captains-of-industry-are-as-rare-as-great-generals/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless and good-for-nothing person is so much diverted from some other employment, and that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/whatever-capital-you-divert-to-the-support-of-a-shiftless-and-good/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [ The yearning after equality \[in economic outcome\] is the offspring of envy and covetousness, and there is no possible plan for satisfying that yearning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-yearning-after-equality-in-economic-outcome-is-the-offspring-of/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [I never have known a man of ordinary common-sense who did not urge upon his sons, from earliest childhood, doctrines of economy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/i-never-have-known-a-man-of-ordinary-common-sense-who-did-not-urge/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Before the tribunal of nature, a man has no more right to life than a rattlesnake; he has no more right to liberty than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/before-the-tribunal-of-nature-a-man-has-no-more-right-to-life-than-a/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The millionaires are a product of natural selection ... the naturally selected agents of society for certain work. They get high wages and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-millionaires-are-a-product-of-natural-selection-the-naturally/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [Perhaps they do not recognize themselves, for a rich man is even harder to define than a poor one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/perhaps-they-do-not-recognize-themselves-for-a-rich-man-is-even/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

[Explore all 104 William Graham Sumner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

## 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": "“The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but his chief business in life is to pay.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Graham Sumner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-generally-he-prays-but-his-chief/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-generally-he-prays-but-his-chief/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/william-graham-sumner-5011_business_the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-genera_1993412.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally he prays—but his chief business in life is to pay.” — William Graham Sumner",
                "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": "William Graham Sumner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The Forgotten Man works and votes—generally...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-generally-he-prays-but-his-chief/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-forgotten-man-works-and-votes-generally-he-prays-but-his-chief/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```