John Maynard Keynes, born on June 5, 1883, in Cambridge, England, was a towering figure in economics and philosophy. As a British economist, he developed Keynesian economics, emphasizing government intervention to stabilize economies, as outlined in his groundbreaking book “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money” (1936). His career included advising world leaders, influencing the Treaty of Versailles, and helping establish the Bretton Woods system. Keynes’s writings and essays often delved into broader themes of life, uncertainty, and human behavior, offering timeless insights. The quotes featured here, focused on life, are sourced primarily from his books, essays, and speeches, reflecting his intellectual depth. Below is a curated list of 15 quotes about life by Keynes, each with a clear source citation.
15 John Maynard Keynes Quotes
1. “In the long run we are all dead.” (Book, “A Tract on Monetary Reform,” 1923)
2. “The strenuous purposeful money-makers may carry all of us along with them into the lap of economic abundance, but it will be those peoples who can keep alive the art of life itself who will be able to enjoy the abundance when it comes.” (Essay, “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren,” 1930)
3. “We will be able to rid ourselves of many of the pseudo-moral principles which have hag-ridden us for two hundred years.” (Essay, “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren,” 1930)
4. “The difficulty lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.” (Book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” 1936)
5. “It is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good or evil.” (Book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” 1936)
6. “Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.” (Book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” 1936)
7. “The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.” (Attributed in various writings, n.d.)
8. “Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking.” (Letter to a friend, 1933)
9. “I do not know which makes a man more conservative—to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past.” (Essay, “The End of Laissez-Faire,” 1926)
10. “The love of money as a possession—as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life—will be recognized for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity.” (Essay, “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren,” 1930)
11. “A study of the history of opinion is a necessary preliminary to the emancipation of the mind.” (Book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” 1936)
12. “The outstanding faults of the economic society in which we live are its failure to provide for full employment and its arbitrary and inequitable distribution of wealth and incomes.” (Speech, “How to Avoid the Slump,” 1937)
13. “I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas.” (Book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” 1936)
14. “There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency.” (Book, “The Economic Consequences of the Peace,” 1919)
15. “The important thing for government is not to do things which individuals are doing already, and to do them a little better or a little worse; but to do those things which at present are not done at all.” (Essay, “The End of Laissez-Faire,” 1926)
These quotes from John Maynard Keynes illuminate his profound reflections on life’s impermanence, the power of ideas, and the pursuit of meaningful existence beyond mere economics. They reveal a thinker who balanced pragmatism with philosophy, urging us to confront uncertainty and cherish the present. Keynes’s words remind us that true fulfillment comes from escaping outdated notions and embracing change. We invite you to share your thoughts or favorite quotes in the comments below—let’s discuss how his insights resonate today.