Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Thrift is not a natural instinct. It is an acquired principle of conduct.”
- Source
- Thrift
- Date
- 1875
Meaning of “Thrift is not a natural instinct. It is…”
Careful use of resources is described as learned behavior, which means it can be strengthened through repeated practice rather than treated as fixed temperament.
Where does it come from?
Thrift, Chapter I, “Industry,” Project Gutenberg #14418. After describing thrift as learned rather than instinctive, Smiles defines it as an acquired principle of conduct involving self-denial, reason, forethought and prudence.
