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The doctor who makes a friend of his patients, the lawyer who defends death penalty cases in distant countries for no fee, the schoolteacher who opens a child's eyes to a new world of books and poetry - such people do nothing that can be measured in marketplaces. The greatest painters, composers and writers don't offer you choices, they present you with what only they can do, and you must take it or leave it. So when such subjects as the values of the marketplace are discussed, you will probably not have much to contribute. You can repeat a poem in your head and wait until the conversation is over. But if anyone starts talking about 'level playing fields,' get up and steal quietly from the room.

John Mortimer#7

ArtHumanityMarketServiceValue

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About this quote

What does it mean?
True value in culture and care cannot be measured by market logic.
In plain terms
Great art and kindness offer themselves without choice or price.
What can you take from it?
Respect values that transcend commercial metrics.

Where it applies

  • career choices
  • cultural appreciation
  • marketplace discussions

Putting it to work

  • value non-monetary contributions
  • step away from market talk
  • create authentically

Questions to consider

  • What work feels valuable beyond pay?
  • How do you defend art or care to others?

Another view

Markets can efficiently allocate resources even in creative fields.

More from John Mortimer

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