Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter II, p. 19. (1776)
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It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages.
— Adam on Dinner
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages." in the context of "Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter II, p. 19. (1776)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Dinner" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Adam
Adam (Hebrew: אָדָם, Arabic: آدم) was, according to the Book of Genesis and the Qur'an, the first man created by God and noted as such in subsequent Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Bahá'í traditions and literature. In Hebrew ׳āḏām, meaning "human" coupled with the definite article, becomes "the human"; its root is linked to its triliteral root אָדָם (A-D-M ), meaning "red", "fair", "handsome". As a masculine noun, 'adam means "man", "mankind" usually in a collective context as in humankind. The noun 'adam is also the masculine form of the word adamah which means "ground" or "earth" and is related to the words: adom (red), admoni (ruddy), and dam (blood).
About Adam
Adam (Hebrew: אָדָם, Arabic: آدم) was, according to the Book of Genesis and the Qur'an, the first man created by God and noted as such in subsequent Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Bahá'í traditions and literature. In Hebrew ׳āḏām, meaning "human" coupled with the definite article, becomes "the human"; its root is linked to its triliteral root אָדָם (A-D-M ), meaning "red", "fair", "handsome". As a masculine noun, 'adam means "man", "mankind" usually in a collective context as in humankind. The noun 'adam is also the masculine form of the word adamah which means "ground" or "earth" and is related to the words: adom (red), admoni (ruddy), and dam (blood).
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