Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to satisfy them. But the case cannot stand if it is the process of satisfying wants that create the wants.

There is an old saying, or should be, that it is a wise economist who recognizes the scope of his own generalizations.

In economics it is a far, far wiser thing to be right than to be consistent

I accept the global complex and global trade more than do some of my liberal colleagues because I consider this a wise alternative to national tension and conflict.

I've become accustomed to supporting politicians who are more conservative than I am. This is not entirely a surprise.

The spirit should never grow old.

Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.