Thomas Sowell Quotes

Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.

The reason so many people misunderstand so many issues is not that these issues are so complex, but that people do not want a factual or analytical explanation that leaves them emotionally unsatisfied. They want villains to hate and heroes to cheer – and they don’t want explanations that do not give them that.

When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.

Politics is the art of making your selfish desires seem like the national interest.

Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.

Politeness and consideration for others is like investing pennies and getting dollars back.

If it were possible to enforce a ban on lying, a ghastly silence would fall over the city of Washington.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

The great escape of our times is escape from personal responsibility for the consequences of one’s own behavior.

People say ‘you’re a very tough person.’ I’m not tough. Life is tough. I’m merely trying to acquaint you with those facts.

It’s amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites.

The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.