Alexis de Tocqueville: American $

Alexis de Tocqueville Money Quote saying U.S. citizens are focused on the worth of their actions. Alexis de Tocqueville said:
 

 

“As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?” — Alexis de Tocqueville

In this quote, French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville is making an observation about American culture and values during the time of his visit in the 1830s. He suggests that from what he saw, the predominant focus among Americans seemed to be on the financial benefits and profit potential of any endeavor or opportunity.

Tocqueville implies that wealth accumulation and economic gain appeared to be the primary motivators driving many decisions, rather than other considerations like community impact, intellectual fulfillment or work-life balance.

Overall, the quote portrays a critique of a society highly oriented around monetary success and return on investment as the overriding measures of worth and importance.

Birthday: July 29, 1805 – Death: April 16, 1859

Alexis de Tocquevillle: Commercial Passions

Alexis de Tocqueville Money Quote saying Americans get excited about commerce before politics. Alexis de Tocqueville said:
 

 

“The passions that stir the Americans most deeply are commercial and not political ones” — Alexis de Tocqueville

In this quote, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville is making an observation about American society and culture based on his travels in the early 19th century. He notes that for most Americans at the time, their strongest and most dominant passions or driving forces seemed to be “commercial” ones related to business, trade and accumulating wealth, rather than “political” passions involving civic engagement, public policy or ideology.

The interpretation is that Tocqueville believed the pursuit of profit, economic opportunity and private enterprise had a more powerful hold on Americans’ interests and energies compared to passions surrounding government, community affairs or political causes according to his perspective expressed in this insightful quote about the emerging nation’s character.

Birthday: July 29, 1805 – Death: April 16, 1859

Alexis de Tocqueville: Equality of Property

Alexis de Tocqueville Money Quote saying U.S. citizens are strong believers in money over fairness. Sharing property equally is held in disdain. Alexis de Tocqueville said:
 

 

“I know of no other country where love of money has such a grip on men’s hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property” — Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville is referring to the American belief that equality of property outcomes should not be guaranteed or enforced permanently. He observed that most Americans did not support the idea that all citizens should have equal amounts of wealth and property over time.

Rather than emphasizing fairness in property distribution, Americans at the time placed a higher value on individual economic freedom and the ability to accumulate private property through one’s own efforts and abilities. Tocqueville saw Americans as strongly believing in the merits of a market-based system where property ownership was not kept permanently equal between all people.

Birthday: July 29, 1805 – Death: April 16, 1859

Tocqueville: Equality of Property

Alexis de Tocqueville Money Quotation saying he disagrees with the mindset of the American dream of wealth and prosperity – suggesting higher priorities are lacking. Alexis de Tocqueville said:
 

 

“I know of no other country where love of money has such a grip on men’s hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property” — Alexis de Tocqueville

This quote from Alexis de Tocqueville suggests that in the United States, the pursuit and love of money has an exceptionally strong hold over people’s desires and motivations compared to other countries.

At the same time, the idea that wealth should be distributed relatively equally among members of society is widely disdained. So according to Tocqueville’s observation, Americans are very focused on the accumulation of individual wealth and private property, rather than supporting the notion of maintaining an overall equitable distribution of resources in the population as a whole.

Birthday: July 29, 1805 – Death: April 16, 1859