If people don't learn to work by the time they're in their 30s, they're never very productive. Charles Koch More Quotes by Charles Koch More Quotes From Charles Koch I've devoted most of my life to understanding the principles that enable people to improve their lives. It's those principles, the principles of free society, that have shaped my life, my family, our company, and America. Charles Koch understanding america people Scientific discoveries and innovation come from combining different existing technologies and different perspectives in a unique way. Charles Koch technology unique discovery I'd like to see a rebirth of America - go back where there's equal rights for everybody and that people succeed to the extent that they help other people improve their lives. To lead toward a society that maximizes peace, civility, and well-being for everyone. Charles Koch helping-others rights america In America, I think we just keep adding, and that's our problem. We almost never subtract. We keep adding these boondoggles, and these violations of the basic principles of equal rights - certain people have more rights than others - it's like "Animal Farm." The pig says that we all have equal rights, but some have more rights than others. Charles Koch rights animal thinking The good and the bad news is that politicians rarely do what they say they are going to do when they campaign. Charles Koch news campaigns politician Just Donald Trump's tenor and insulting of people is just beyond the pale. Charles Koch trump insulting people I've always believed in the saying that "there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit." Charles Koch credit care limits In America, we are just moving the chairs around and spending huge amounts of money rather than having them go in making people's lives better. Charles Koch america people moving The problem is, to have prices fall would work fine if we didn't have all these built in rigidities on downward prices, because then things don't adjust, and that's how we have recessions and depressions, is prices and costs don't adjust together and they get out of whack, and we end up with dislocations. Charles Koch cost together fall You can't start taking away benefits if people don't have any opportunities. Charles Koch benefits opportunity people Our system here of creating value for others and having people do the right thing, exchange information, and so on only works if people have the right values. Charles Koch creating-value information people My parents worked really hard at communicating other values they felt were important, such as integrity, courage, humility, treating others with dignity and respect, and having a thirst for knowledge. Charles Koch parent humility integrity The essence of a university is free and open inquiry, and when it loses that it is no longer a university. Charles Koch university inquiry essence What we need to work on is how to increase productivity. And then everybody will be better off. Charles Koch better-off increase needs Just spreading the money around - that isn't what makes people better off; it's having more and better goods and services. Charles Koch goods-and-services goods people You'll remember Newton was furious at Leibniz, because he developed calculus at the same time. And he went to his death believing that he had copied him. And no, it's because all the elements were there, so it's almost inevitable that the next discovery - as long as people are free and allowed to experiment and try new things. Charles Koch discovery long believe I think this is so important - what's not done well at education at every level - is helping kids find, as I discovered for myself, what I was good at. I was very lucky to find out that at an early age, which set my direction in life. Charles Koch important kids thinking I didn't think I was good at anything, didn't do well in school. And then in the third grade, I was going to a public school. And the teacher was putting math problems on the board. And I said to myself - it's amazing how you can remember certain incidents at any age that made an impression - I asked myself why is she putting those up when the answers are obvious. And then I saw it wasn't obvious to anybody else in the class. So I said, "Hey, I'm good at something." Charles Koch math teacher school All the corporate welfare, yeah, it goes from cash payments to debt, to regulations on the competitors, to restrictions on trade, to mandates. You name it, anything so that business doesn't have to do a better job of creating value for others - they can just get the system in their favor. Charles Koch creating-value names jobs The great thing about my parents is they didn't preach anything they didn't practice. Charles Koch great-things parent practice
