Thorstein Bunde Veblen

Thorstein Bunde Veblen (1857 - 1929), popularly known simply as Thorstein Veblen, was a Norwegian-American economist and sociologist of the United States. He was a well-known critic of capitalism. He is best-known for his book The Theory of the Leisure Class that gave us two famous concepts of "conspicuous consumption" and "conspicuous leisure."

Wisdom & Quotes

• The superior gratification derived from the use and contemplation of costly and supposedly beautiful products is, commonly, in great measure, a gratification of our sense of costliness masquerading under the name of beauty.

- The Theory of the Leisure Class

• Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure.

- The Theory of the Leisure Class

• In order to stand well in the eyes of the community, it is necessary to come up to a certain, somewhat indefinite, conventional standard of wealth.

- The Theory of the Leisure Class

Joseph Conrad