Jean-Baptiste Say (1803) A Treatise On Political Economy. (Fourth Edition, 1855), Book I, Chapter VIII, p. 98.

To have never done any thing but make the eighteenth part of a pin, is a sorry account for a human being to give of his existence.

— Jean-Baptiste Say

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "To have never done any thing but make the eighteenth part of a pin, is a sorry account for a human being to give of his existence." in the context of "Jean-Baptiste Say (1803) A Treatise On Political Economy. (Fourth Edition, 1855), Book I, Chapter VIII, p. 98." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Adam Smith" (Quotes about Adam Smith, M-Z) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Adam Smith

About Adam Smith

Adam Smith (16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish-born economist and philosopher, widely considered the "father of modern economics".