--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Something is wrong, very wrong, when a…" description: "\"“Something is wrong, very wrong, when a single person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_good-health_something-is-wrong-very-wrong-when-a-sin_1034358.png" --- # Something is wrong, very wrong, when a single person in… ![“Something is wrong, very wrong, when a single person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by the sweat of her brow. You don’t need a degree in economics to see that wages are too low and rents too high.” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_good-health_something-is-wrong-very-wrong-when-a-sin_1034358.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_good-health_something-is-wrong-very-wrong-when-a-sin_1034358.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_good-health_something-is-wrong-very-wrong-when-a-sin_1034358.png) > ““Something is wrong, very wrong, when a single person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by the sweat of her brow. You don’t need a degree in economics to see that wages are too low and rents too high.”” [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a healthy person with a car still struggles to afford basics, it shows wages are insufficient and rents excessive. **In simple terms:** Low wages and high rents trap working people. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair wages and affordable housing. Themes economics social justice housing labor inequality Mood concerned determined Type analytical activist When to use this quote - policy advocacy - union organizing - budget planning Key Concepts cost of living wage stagnation housing market policy reform Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce this disparity? - How can individuals improve financial stability? A Different Perspective Economic analysis may miss individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-health/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) ## Related quotes > [The right to protect the health and well-being of every person, of those we love, is a basic human right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-holmes/the-right-to-protect-the-health-and-well-being-of-every-person-of/) [Elizabeth Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-holmes/) > [I was going to get a degree in economics and be a teacher. But I couldn't afford to pay for the education. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-was-going-to-get-a-degree-in-economics-and-be-a-teacher-but-i/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [In order to succeed in business a man does not need a degree from a school of business administration. 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My mother was very strict about this recipe: You need to get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/i-studied-at-a-university-in-florence-and-finished-my-degree-my/) [Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/) > [The barrier to entry, to being a model, is not hard work. You don't need a degree. You don't need to win an award.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/the-barrier-to-entry-to-being-a-model-is-not-hard-work-you-don-t-need/) [Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/) > [Don't need a degree in rocket science to do this job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/don-t-need-a-degree-in-rocket-science-to-do-this-job/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [In my forties, my optimism was boundless. 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The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) ## More by Barbara Ehrenreich > [Money does not bring happiness' - only the wherewithal, perhaps, to endure its absence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/money-does-not-bring-happiness-only-the-wherewithal-perhaps-to-endure/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Yes. I think the anti-Wal-Mart is Costco, which pays much better and has much better health benefits and which is profitable and offers low…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/yes-i-think-the-anti-wal-mart-is-costco-which-pays-much-better-and/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Jesus: a wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/jesus-a-wine-guzzling-vagrant-and-precocious-socialist/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [ What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life \[as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. Maroney\]? 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Compatibility was not a big issue, nor, of course, was there any tension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/marriage-probably-originated-as-a-straightforward-food-for-sex-deal/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [I became a student of the history of religion. I am fascinated by how religions often center on mystical experience, and in the Old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/i-became-a-student-of-the-history-of-religion-i-am-fascinated-by-how/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [The nation was not founded by habitual groupthinkers. But it stands a fair chance of being destroyed by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/the-nation-was-not-founded-by-habitual-groupthinkers-but-it-stands-a/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [ “You might discover that, nationwide, America's food banks are experiencing 'a torrent of need which \[they\] cannot meet' and that, according to a survey… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/you-might-discover-that-nationwide-america-s-food-banks-are/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [My Turn is the distilled bathwater of Mrs. Reagan's life. 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Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [If you’re going to die on screen, you’ve got to be strong and in good health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-garbo/if-you-re-going-to-die-on-screen-you-ve-got-to-be-strong-and-in-good/) [Greta Garbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-garbo/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) Harry Johnson > [“Good health and happiness are life’s most precious treasures. Those who possess them are blessed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/good-health-and-happiness-are-life-s-most-precious-treasures-those/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [Deliver me from all evildoers that talk nothing but sickness and failure. Grant me the companionship of men who think success and men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/deliver-me-from-all-evildoers-that-talk-nothing-but-sickness-and/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [In my forties, my optimism was boundless. I had really good health and tremendous success which allowed me to do anything I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/in-my-forties-my-optimism-was-boundless-i-had-really-good-health-and/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [Apart from education, you need good health, and for that, you need to play sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-dev/apart-from-education-you-need-good-health-and-for-that-you-need-to/) [Kapil Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-dev/) > [“Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/those-who-have-abandoned-belief-must-still-believe-in-us-they-are/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“I could not disagree more,” said Ganesh, my father giving me a hidden wink. “If we build toward them they’ll see it as hostile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carman/i-could-not-disagree-more-said-ganesh-my-father-giving-me-a-hidden/) [Patrick Carman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carman/) > [Things like guitars and ukuleles, you should never part with it, because there will probably be good, healthy times spent, just playing and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/things-like-guitars-and-ukuleles-you-should-never-part-with-it/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [“Good health is about being able to fully enjoy the time we do have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/good-health-is-about-being-able-to-fully-enjoy-the-time-we-do-have/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) > [“You may not appreciate the presence of good health, but you will definitely regret the absence of good health, because health is happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/you-may-not-appreciate-the-presence-of-good-health-but-you-will/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The signs of good health are an intellect which is free from inhibition and arrogance, a heart which is full of compassion is healthy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-signs-of-good-health-are-an-intellect-which-is-free-from/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [My trust in God flows out of the experience of his loving me, day in and day out, whether the day is stormy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/my-trust-in-god-flows-out-of-the-experience-of-his-loving-me-day-in/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) [Browse all 616 Good health quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-health/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Something is wrong, very wrong, when a single person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by the sweat of her brow. 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