Assen

“I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.”
― Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions

“His was the unconstrained vision of human nature, in which man was capable of directly feeling other people’s needs as more important than his own, and therefore of consistently acting impartially, even when his own interests or those of his family were involved.”
― Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions

“A similar discrepancy between objective proclaimed and objective practised can be observed in most organisations. For example, one could mistakenly believe that the principal objective of universities is to educate students. But for Ackoff, the principal objective of a university is to provide job security and increase the standard of living and quality of life of those members of the faculty and administration who make the critical decisions. Teaching is the price that faculty members must pay to share in the benefits provided. Like any price, they try to minimise it. Note that the more senior and politically powerful teaching members of the faculty are, the less teaching they do.”
― Russell L. Ackoff, Systems Thinking for Curious Managers: With 40 New Management f-Laws

“While believers in the unconstrained vision seek the special causes of war, poverty, and crime, believers in the constrained vision seek the special causes of peace, wealth, or a law-abiding society.”
― Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles