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To found a great empire for the sole purpose of raising up a people of customers, may at first appear a project fit only for a nation of shopkeepers. It is however, a project altogether unfit for a nation of shopkeepers; but extremely fit for a nation whose government is influenced by shopkeepers.

— Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations (1776)

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More quotes by Adam Smith

Nothing but the most exemplary morals can give dignity to a man of small fortune.

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

A merchant, it has been said very properly, is not necessarily the citizen of any particular country.

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

No fixed capital can yield any revenue but by means of a circulating capital.

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

In the long-run the workman may be as necessary to his master as his master is to him, but the necessity is not so immediate.

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

Hatred and anger are the greatest poison to the happiness of a good mind.

The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Adam Smith (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.