Animal Spirits

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Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Animal Spirits'

A term used by John Maynard Keynes used in one of his economics books. In his 1936 publication, "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money," the term "animal spirits" is used to describe human emotion that drives consumer confidence. According to Keynes, animal spirits also generate human trust.    
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Animal Spirits'

There has been a resurgence of interest in the idea of animal spirits in recent years. Several books and articles have been published on this topic. Keynes believed that animal spirits were necessary to motivate people to take positive action.

Search results for

'Animal Spirits'

  • What Causes Bubbles? - Investopedia.com

    http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/What-Causes-Bubbles.aspx
    ... booms and the inevitable busts that follow, mainstream economists either deny that
    financial bubbles can occur or claim that the 'animal spirits' of market ...

  • How’s Your Mood? - Investopedia.com

    http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0509/Hows-Your-Mood.aspx
    ... Human emotions often influence our behavior in what the legendary economist
    John Maynard Keynes called our animal spirits. When ...

  • 10 Great Finance Books Of 2009 - Investopedia.com

    http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1209/10-Great-Finance-Books-Of-2009.aspx
    ... "Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why it Matters for
    Global Capitalism" by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller This book takes ...

  • Industries Prone To Bubbles And Why

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/11/industries-prone-to-bubbles-and-why.asp
    ... real estate artificially cheap; and, as Shiller and fellow economist George Akerlof
    pointed out in their April 2009 article, "How 'Animal Spirits' Wrecked the ...

  • 5 Disastrous Financial Moves We Can't Seem To Avoid

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/11/financial-mistakes-we-make.asp
    ... spikes in value. Sadly, very few investors can stay disciplined when the
    animal spirits are raging. Fortunately, strategies like ...

  • Conference Board: Consumer Confidence Index | Investopedia

    http://www.investopedia.com/university/conferenceboard/conferenceboard7.asp
    ... ticket items. Thus confidence, what John Maynard Keynes called 'animal
    spirits', drives both spending and investment. "But there ...

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