We are now heading down a centuries-long path toward increasing the productivity of our natural capital - the resource systems upon which we depend to live - instead of our human capital.
Paul HawkenRead
Really, the proper study of economics is fulfilment, not consumption... It doesn't even matter if it's a green product or a green house... It's still consumption. What matters in this world is the fulfilment of people's needs and the fulfilment of their aspirations.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The focus of economics should be on fulfilling people's needs rather than on the act of consumption itself.
In this quote, Paul Hawken emphasizes that economics should prioritize the fulfillment of human needs and aspirations rather than merely promoting consumption. He argues that the true measure of economic success lies in how well it addresses what people truly require to lead fulfilling lives, rather than the quantity of goods consumed or whether they are environmentally friendly.
Themes
EconomicsFulfillmentNeedsAspirationsConsumption
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about sustainable living, one might say, 'As Paul Hawken stated, the proper study of economics is fulfillment, not consumption.'
More from Paul Hawken
All quotes →Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity's willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider.
Paul HawkenRead
We can no longer prosper by increasing human productivity. The more we try to do, the more poverty we will create.
Paul HawkenRead
At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product.
Paul HawkenRead
How much harm does a company have to do before we question its right to exist?
Paul HawkenRead
We have the capacity to create a remarkably different economy: one that can restore ecosystems and protect the environment while bringing forth innovation, prosperity, meaningful work, and true security.
Paul HawkenRead
Similar quotes
One of the arguments I make for the failure of the euro is that, at the time it was being constructed, there was a 'neo-liberal' ideology which said that all we need to do to make this thing work is to get deficits low, keep inflation low, and take down barriers, and then everything would be fine.
Joseph StiglitzRead
Capital is money, capital is commodities. By virtue of it being value, it has acquired the occult ability to add value to itself. It brings forth living offspring, or, at the least, lays golden eggs.
Karl MarxRead
Let's not only provide a jumpstart to the economy and immediately or save 3 million jobs, but let's also put a down payment on some of the structural problems that we have in our economy.
Barack ObamaRead
The desire for economic prosperity is itself not culturally determined but almost universally shared
Francis FukuyamaRead
Printing money is merely taxation in another form. Rather than robbing citizens of their money, government robs their money of its purchasing power.
Peter SchiffRead
It is worth noting that 'too big to fail' is not simply about size. A big institution is 'too big' when there is an expectation that government will do whatever it takes to rescue that institution from failure, thus bestowing an effective risk premium subsidy. Reforms to end 'too big to fail' must address the causes of this expectation.
Jerome PowellRead