The forgotten man... He works, he votes, generally he prays, but his chief business in life is to pay.
William Graham SumnerRead
We throw all our attention on the utterly idle question whether A has done as well as B, when the only question is whether A has done as well as he could.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on personal growth rather than comparison with others.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-assessment over comparisons to others. Instead of measuring success by how one performs relative to others, we should gauge our achievements against our own potential and efforts.
Themes
Self-ImprovementPersonal GrowthComparisonSuccessPotential
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, to inspire individuals to look inward for growth.
More from William Graham Sumner
All quotes →It is the tendency of the social burdens to crush out the middle class, and to force society into an organization of only two classes, one at each social extreme.
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We shall find that every effort to realize equality necessitates a sacrifice of liberty.
William Graham SumnerRead
The Forgotten Man is delving away in patient industry, supporting his family, paying his taxes, casting his vote, supporting the church and the school, reading his newspaper, and cheering for the politician of his admiration, but he is the only one for whom there is no provision in the great scramble and the big divide. Such is the Forgotten Man. He works, he votes, generally he prays — but he always pays — yes, above all, he pays.
William Graham SumnerRead
The men who start out with the notion that the world owes them a living generally find that the world pays its 'debt' in the penitentiary or the poor house.
William Graham SumnerRead
Civil liberty is the status of the man who is guaranteed by law and civil institutions the exclusive employment of all his own powers for his own welfare.
William Graham SumnerRead
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Those who have suffered much become very bitter or very gentle.
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