Woodrow Wilson on Reckless Spending
on Monday, January 28, 2013Woodrow Wilson Money Quotation saying those spending others’ money recklessly are at fault for the waste – not the provider of that cash. Woodrow Wilson said:
“The way to stop financial joyriding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile” — Woodrow Wilson
This quote from Woodrow Wilson seems to suggest focusing reform efforts on individuals rather than systems or technologies when addressing societal problems. The “chauffeur” in this case likely refers to those directly responsible for or enabling “financial joyriding” (irresponsible or reckless behavior), while the “automobile” represents the broader economic or financial system itself.
Wilson appears to be saying it is better to hold accountable the people abusing the system through their actions, rather than trying to restrict or overhaul the entire system. His view seems to be that systemic issues are often downstream from human failures and targeting structural changes alone may not get at the root causes perpetuated by individuals within those structures.
The best interpretation is that Wilson is advocating for addressing the human factors and decision-makers rather than blaming impersonal forces.
Birthday: December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924