197 Quotes by Harry Browne

One person devotes his life to helping the poor. Another one lies and steals. Still another person tries to create better products and services for which he hopes to be paid handsomely. One woman devotes herself to her husband and children. Another seeks a career as a singer. In every case, the basic motivation has been the same. Each person is doing what he believes will bring him happiness. What varies between them is the means each has chosen to gain his happiness.

And when someone accuses you of being selfish, just remember that he’s upset only because you aren’t doing what he selfishly wants you to do.

An individual might say, “I don’t want to change anyone.” And yet, he might still spend a great deal of his time trying to get others to agree with his views, or trying to prevent someone from doing something he thinks will be bad for him, or trying to change people by participating in a movement over a burning issue, or voting to prevent others from doing what they want to do. In all these ways, he’s trying to change others – to make them do other than what their natures lead them to do.

Like many people, most Libertarians feel empathy and sympathy for less fortunate people. But they know you can’t have perfection in a world of limited resources.

So while the totalitarian state may include a TV camera in every room, I doubt that the camera will work.

Government doesn’t work. That’s the first lesson we must learn if we want to improve society.

Once we realize that government doesn’t work, we’ll know that the only way to improve government is by reducing its size – by doing away with laws, by getting rid of programs, by making government spend and tax less, by reducing government as far as we can.

It’s important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.

I’m free and happy because I accepted myself as I am and found a life that suits me.