--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't change things. That's life…" description: "\"“You can't change things. That's life. Poor stays poor, rich says rich, and those two, they will never meet.”\" — Antonia Michaelis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/antonia-michaelis-13184_change-things_you-can-t-change-things-that-s-life-poor_297335.jpg" --- # You can't change things. That's life. Poor stays poor… ![“You can't change things. That's life. Poor stays poor, rich says rich, and those two, they will never meet.” quote by Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/antonia-michaelis-13184_change-things_you-can-t-change-things-that-s-life-poor_297335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/antonia-michaelis-13184_change-things_you-can-t-change-things-that-s-life-poor_297335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/antonia-michaelis-13184_change-things_you-can-t-change-things-that-s-life-poor_297335.jpg) > ““You can't change things. That's life. Poor stays poor, rich says rich, and those two, they will never meet.”” [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Socioeconomic status creates a permanent separation where the poor and rich rarely intersect. **In simple terms:** Rich and poor live in separate worlds. Key Takeaway Address systemic inequality. Themes inequality class social divide Mood somber thoughtful Type social critical When to use this quote - policy making - education - community programs - personal interactions Key Concepts economic disparity social mobility Questions to Reflect On - What barriers keep classes apart? - How can we foster interaction across economic lines? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex socioeconomic dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Poor rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-rich/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Donald trump\] was steamed about \[Hillary\] Clinton's suggestion that he might not be as rich as he says. So he ditched the email stuff… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/donald-trump-was-steamed-about-hillary-clinton-s-suggestion-that-he/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [“The race to make more money to keep up with the rich, he says, is the reason Americans are spending less time with children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frank/the-race-to-make-more-money-to-keep-up-with-the-rich-he-says-is-the/) [Robert Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frank/) > [I don't care what anyone says. Being rich is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-don-t-care-what-anyone-says-being-rich-is-a-good-thing/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“An advanced city is not one where poor people drive cars,” Peñalosa says, “but where rich people take public transportation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janette-sadik-khan/an-advanced-city-is-not-one-where-poor-people-drive-cars-pe-alosa/) Janette Sadik-Khan > [“The measure of a bookstore is not its receipts, but its friends,” he says, “and here, we are rich indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/the-measure-of-a-bookstore-is-not-its-receipts-but-its-friends-he/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [Angel says that rich people don't like to tolerate much. Money gives you permission to just walk away from everything that isn't pretty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/angel-says-that-rich-people-don-t-like-to-tolerate-much-money-gives/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [ If there is no friendship with them \[the poor\] and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-gutierrez/if-there-is-no-friendship-with-them-the-poor-and-no-sharing-of-the/) [Gustavo Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-gutierrez/) > [My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man, I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/my-life-has-been-a-poor-attempt-to-imitate-the-man-i-m-just-a-living/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/if-your-daily-life-seems-poor-do-not-blame-it-blame-yourself-tell/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/if-your-daily-life-seems-poor-do-not-blame-it-blame-yourself-that-you/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [It is a kind of blindness--poverty. We can only grope through life when we are poor, hitting and maiming ourselves against every angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/it-is-a-kind-of-blindness-poverty-we-can-only-grope-through-life-when/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [I wonder how some people manage their life. Poor fools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hellena/i-wonder-how-some-people-manage-their-life-poor-fools/) [Hellena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hellena/) > [I think, you know, as an actor, unless you're exceedingly lucky and you're one of the golden few, a lot of your life you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-knight-2/i-think-you-know-as-an-actor-unless-you-re-exceedingly-lucky-and-you/) [T R Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-knight-2/) > [He who does not believe has no soul. He is empty. He has no ideals. He has nothing to live for. He has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ley/he-who-does-not-believe-has-no-soul-he-is-empty-he-has-no-ideals-he/) [Robert Ley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ley/) > [“The rich eat life, the poor eat death; so what is the problem they ask?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-rich-eat-life-the-poor-eat-death-so-what-is-the-problem-they-ask/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) ## More by Antonia Michaelis > [“It was a disaster … It was the most wonderful thing in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/it-was-a-disaster-it-was-the-most-wonderful-thing-in-the-world/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The words that I will have to find for that explanation will be sharp and they will hurt, much worse than the thorns of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-words-that-i-will-have-to-find-for-that-explanation-will-be-sharp/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna took his hand to gauge the swelling. 'Let's at least put something cold around it. Frozen peas work pretty well.' 'Do I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-took-his-hand-to-gauge-the-swelling-let-s-at-least-put-something/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“My child, I know you're not a child But I still see you running wild Between those flowering trees. Your sparkling dreams, your silver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/my-child-i-know-you-re-not-a-child-but-i-still-see-you-running-wild/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel lifted her up - another gesture from former times, from when she'd been smaller - and carried her to the bathroom to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-lifted-her-up-another-gesture-from-former-times-from-when-she-d/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“If we lose each other, we’ll meet where it’s spring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/if-we-lose-each-other-we-ll-meet-where-it-s-spring/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The Rajah's handsome eunuch never guessed that she was telling him the tale of her own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-rajah-s-handsome-eunuch-never-guessed-that-she-was-telling-him/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Just a tiny little pain, Three days of heavy rain, Three days of sunlight, Everything will be alright, Just a tiny little pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/just-a-tiny-little-pain-three-days-of-heavy-rain-three-days-of/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Nothing was perfect, but everything was all right. The light was never just blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/nothing-was-perfect-but-everything-was-all-right-the-light-was-never/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I don't know what happened between the two of you. I don't know if it can be forgiven. The hardest thing always is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-don-t-know-what-happened-between-the-two-of-you-i-don-t-know-if-it/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna watched as Abel walked across the empty schoolyard, she wondered whether there was a limit to desolation or whether it grew endlessly, infinitely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-watched-as-abel-walked-across-the-empty-schoolyard-she-wondered/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“You didn't see us," she said to Anna... "I was... lost in thought," Anna replied. "What were you thinking about?" "You," Anna said. "Isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/you-didn-t-see-us-she-said-to-anna-i-was-lost-in-thought-anna-replied/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel was brushing the snow off his parka while Micha was dancing around him, still balancing the plate of cookies, singing, 'We're staying, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-was-brushing-the-snow-off-his-parka-while-micha-was-dancing/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“That cloak of love you were wearing—he’s torn it to shreds, undoing the seams of trust that held it together. How can you ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/that-cloak-of-love-you-were-wearing-he-s-torn-it-to-shreds-undoing/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“In a dream, in a fairytale, nothing has to be explained, everything happens of its own accord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/in-a-dream-in-a-fairytale-nothing-has-to-be-explained-everything/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) [Explore all 51 Antonia Michaelis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) ## More Change things quotes > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [“I’m not saying Jesus won’t come back; I’ve just decided I can’t keep hoping to be rescued from my life. Maybe it’s up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hartzler/i-m-not-saying-jesus-won-t-come-back-i-ve-just-decided-i-can-t-keep/) [Aaron Hartzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-hartzler/) > [What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from earlier generations ... is its determination to act, its joy in action, the assurance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-really-distinguishes-this-generation-in-all-countries-from/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“why would white dudes want to change things when they held all the cards?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/why-would-white-dudes-want-to-change-things-when-they-held-all-the/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“Gandhi is best remembered for his adherence to the principle of nonviolence; but no less important was his adherence to non-demonization. Even when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-truett-anderson/gandhi-is-best-remembered-for-his-adherence-to-the-principle-of/) [Walter Truett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-truett-anderson/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I believe that prayer changes us and we change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-used-to-believe-that-prayer-changes-things-but-now-i-believe-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot change the things, so you don't need to stress if you're going to change them. So why complain? It looks so simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/you-cannot-change-the-things-so-you-don-t-need-to-stress-if-you-re/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [I'm always trying to change things - change my character, change my look, change my hair, change my facial hair, change my costumes, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/i-m-always-trying-to-change-things-change-my-character-change-my-look/) [Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/) > [When something doesn't go your way, never lose hope in Allah. That faith could be just enough for Him to change things around for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-something-doesn-t-go-your-way-never-lose-hope-in-allah-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're a black superhero, you can't erase the notion that you're black. If you're black, living in the community, and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/when-you-re-a-black-superhero-you-can-t-erase-the-notion-that-you-re/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) > [It's crazy how much time can change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaska/it-s-crazy-how-much-time-can-change-things/) [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaska/) > [The point of the essay is to change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-tufte/the-point-of-the-essay-is-to-change-things/) [Edward Tufte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-tufte/) > [“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-not-control-all-the-events-that-happen-to-you-but-you-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) Browse all 661 Change things quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You can't change things. That's life. 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