--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans - whatever billions we are - we…" description: "\"Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.\" — Alice Walker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/alice-walker-347_billions_humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t_72175.png" --- # Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the… ![“Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/alice-walker-347_billions_humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t_72175.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/alice-walker-347_billions_humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t_72175.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/alice-walker-347_billions_humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t_72175.png) > “Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.” [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights humanity's lack of agency and its perceived disposability within larger forces. **In simple terms:** Humanity is powerless and expendable. Key Takeaway We are not in control of our fate. Themes existentialism powerlessness human value societal critique determinism Mood somber reflective critical Type philosophical critical observational When to use this quote - facing systemic oppression - contemplating existential risk - discussing AI governance - examining labor exploitation - reflecting on climate crisis Key Concepts agency value mortality systems Practical Applications - philosophical essays - policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be expendable? - How can agency be reclaimed? A Different Perspective Some argue humans can shape destiny through collective action and technology, challenging the notion of inherent powerlessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Expendables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expendables/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [The history of fossil-fuel development has always been that certain people are expendable. 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But it's Hollywood's fault that people say that, because there have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/any-ensemble-they-didn-t-call-it-the-all-male-expendables-for-example/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [Freedom and democracy, That's the word from Washington every day. Put America to sleep with warm milk and clichés, And people are expendable along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/freedom-and-democracy-that-s-the-word-from-washington-every-day-put/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [Men are expendable; women and children are not. A tribe or a nation can lose a high percentage of its men and still pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/men-are-expendable-women-and-children-are-not-a-tribe-or-a-nation-can/) [Robert A. 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And then... life goes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/we-re-all-expendable-we-think-the-world-s-going-to-stop-when-a-pope/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [The military is such a hierarchical institution. It's an institution where, if you are assaulted by a person senior to you, you're probably the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/the-military-is-such-a-hierarchical-institution-it-s-an-institution/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [Women are dirt searchers; their greatest worth is irradicating rings on collars and tables. Never mind real-estate boards' corruption and racism, here's your soapsuds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/women-are-dirt-searchers-their-greatest-worth-is-irradicating-rings/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [I became a physician in order to help save lives. I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-fay-jefferson/i-became-a-physician-in-order-to-help-save-lives-i-am-at-once-a/) Mildred Fay Jefferson ## More by Alice Walker > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Why aren't you happy in America, if everyone there drives motorcars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/why-aren-t-you-happy-in-america-if-everyone-there-drives-motorcars/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“She saw poetry where other writers merely saw failure to cope with English.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-saw-poetry-where-other-writers-merely-saw-failure-to-cope-with/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother had handed down respect for the possibilities...and the will to grasp them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-had-handed-down-respect-for-the-possibilities-and-the-will/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-was-very-strong-once-she-picked-up-a-coconut-and-smashed-it/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/all-my-life-i-had-to-fight-i-had-to-fight-my-daddy-i-had-to-fight-my/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Well, capitalism is a big problem, because with capitalism you're just going to keep buying and selling things until there's nothing else to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/well-capitalism-is-a-big-problem-because-with-capitalism-you-re-just/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) [Explore all 654 Alice Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. 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