The more anxious, isolated and time-deprived we are, the more likely we are to turn to paid personal services. To finance these extra services, we work longer hours. This leaves less time to spend with family, friends and neighbors we become less likely to call on them for help, and they on us. – Arlie Russell Hochschild

Wealth, in even the most improbable cases, manages to convey the aspect of intelligence. – John Kenneth Galbraith

The confidence is really driven by the woman – whether she can have the confidence that there will be enough earning or income to finance all the domestic spending – but also by the middle-income class, which for many Asian countries has become the growth power for the economy. – Sri Mulyani Indrawati