Animal Spirits Quotes

• It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land.

  Sitting Bull

  Native American, Animal, Yield

  Sitting Bull, Mark Diedrich (1998). “Sitting Bull: The Collected Speeches”

  146 Copy quote

  Show source

• Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits.

  William Hazlitt

  Happiness, Beauty, Laughter

  William Hazlitt, Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd, Charles Lamb (1836). “Literary Remains of the Late William Hazlitt: With Notice of His Life”, p.161

  14 Copy quote

  Show source

• The markets are moved by animal spirits, and not by reason.

  John Maynard Keynes

  Animal, Spirit, Reason

  "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money". Book by John Maynard Keynes, Book 4, Chapter 12, Section 7, p. 161, February 1936.

  68 Copy quote

  Show source

• The human spirit may be likened to the bounty of the sun shining on a mirror. The body of man, ... grows and develops through the animal spirit.

  Abdu'l-Bahá

  Book, Animal, Men

  4 Copy quote

• Compassion begets compassion, cruelty begets cruelty. What we give we will ultimately receive. Nonhumans help make us human. They teach us respect, compassion, and unconditional love. When we mistreat animals, we mistreat ourselves. When we destroy animal spirits and souls, we destroy our own spirits and souls.

  Marc Bekoff

  Unconditional Love, Animal, Compassion

  17 Copy quote

• A man's opinion of danger varies at different times, in consequence of an irregular tide of animal spirits; and he is actuated by considerations which he dares not avow.

  Tobias Smollett

  Animal, Men, Different

  Tobias Smollett (1822). “The History of England: From the Revolution in 1688, to the Death of George II. Designed as a Continuation of Hume”, p.184

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I don't like to go into subways, because I always see them [ mice]. They are like my naguales [kindred animal spirits]. They follow me. I have literally stepped off of a plane in Phoenix and gotten my bag and stepped out on the curb and they'll be a big desert rat walking right in front of me.

  Sandra Cisneros

  Animal, Phoenix, Desert

  "Talking in Our Pajamas: A Conversation with Sandra Cisneros on Finding Your Voice, Fear of Highways, Tacos, Travel, and the Need for Peace in the World". Interview with Ruth Behar, quod.lib.umich.edu. 2008.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I can't go to Hindu countries where they respect rats and mice, and I can't go camping. I don't like to go into subways, because I always see them. Rats are like my naguales [kindred animal spirits]. They follow me.

  Sandra Cisneros

  Country, Animal, Camping

  Source: quod.lib.umich.edu

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• A capitalist economy hums when leading businessmen are bubbling with animal spirits and are prepared to sink their money into risky ventures.

  Paul Johnson

  Animal, Capitalist Economy, Venture

  4 Copy quote

• Until Americans feel that their core asset - their homes - are stabilized, they are not going to have the animal spirits and they will continue to have less buying power.

  Kevin O'Leary

  Home, Animal, Buying

  13 Copy quote

• A certain excess of animal spirits with thoughtless good-humor will often make more enemies than the most deliberate spite and ill-nature, which is on its guard, and strikes with caution and safety.

  William Hazlitt

  Animal, Safety, Enemy

  4 Copy quote

• But public works, economic protectionism, cheap money, "deficit-financed government spending," and "the animal spirits of the spendthrift in the service of boosting "consumption demand"... Doesn't Keynesianism simply appeal to the worst in human nature?

  Ilana Mercer

  Animal, Government, Demand

  "John Maynard Keynes: Where’s The Genius?!". Interview with Benn Steil, www.ilanamercer.com. August 16, 2013.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Investment bubbles and high animal spirits do not materialize out of thin air. They need extremely favorable economic fundamentals together with free and easy, cheap credit, and they need it for at least two or three years. Importantly, they also need serial pleasant surprises in such critical variables as global GNP growth.

  Jeremy Grantham

  Animal, Air, Years

  14 Copy quote

• Constant labor of one uniform kind destroys the intensity and flow of a man's animal spirits, which find recreation and delight in mere change of activity.

  Karl Marx

  Animal, Men, Delight

  Karl Marx (1932). “Capital: The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings”

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• We've got to get rid of the fear of failure in this country. In America, people start things, fail and shake themselves down and start things again. The animal spirit of capitalism is stronger there.

  Rupert Murdoch

  Country, Animal, America

  "Thank God for Rupert Murdoch" by Kelvin MacKenzie, www.theguardian.com. June 30, 2011.

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• Punning is an art of harmonious jingling upon words, which, passing in at the ears, excites a titillary motion in those parts; and this, being conveyed by the animal spirits into the muscles of the face, raises the cockles of the heart.

  Jonathan Swift

  Art, Animal, Ears

  Jonathan Swift (1803). “The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift ...”, p.125

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• Most, probably, of our decisions to do something positive, the full consequences of which will be drawn out over many days to come, can only be taken as the result of animal spirits-a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction, and not as the outcome of a weighted average of quantitative benefits multiplied by quantitative probabilities.

  John Maynard Keynes

  Taken, Animal, Average

  "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money". Book by John Maynard Keynes, book 4, chapter 12, section 7, p. 161, February, 1936.

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• Wherefore the brain must be looked upon as the universal and general sensory and at the same time as the universal and general motory organ of the body and finally as the universal and general laboratory of the animal spirits and the blood or of the essential juices of life.

  Emanuel Swedenborg

  Animal, Blood, Brain

  Emanuel Swedenborg (1887). “The Brain, Considered Anatomically, Physiologically and Philosophically: The pituitary gland, the cerebellum and the medulla oblongata”

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• Dancing is at once rational & healthful: it gives animal spirits; it is the natural amusement of young people, & such it has been from the days of Moses.

  William Cobbett

  Dance, Animal, People

  William Cobbett (2006). “Advice to Young Men”, p.33, Cosimo, Inc.

  10 Copy quote

  Show source

• Vampires get the joy of flying around and living forever, werewolves get the joy of animal spirits. But zombies, they're not rich, or aristocratic, they shuffle around. They're a group phenomenon, they're not very fast, they're quite sickly. So what's the pleasure of being one?

  Margaret Atwood

  Animal, Joy, Forever

  "Margaret Atwood: 'I have a big following among the biogeeks. 'Finally! Someone understands us!'". Interview with Emma Brockes, www.theguardian.com. August 24, 2013.

  5 Copy quote

  Show source