--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The arrogance of the able-bodied is…" description: "\"The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes, maybe we'd like to be able to get places quickly, and carry things in both hands but only because ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/barbara-kingsolver-200_able_the-arrogance-of-the-able-bodied-is-stag_2955105.png" --- # The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes, maybe… ![“The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes, maybe we'd like to be able to get places quickly, and carry things in both hands but only because we have to keep up with the rest of you ... We would rather be just like us, and have that be all right.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/barbara-kingsolver-200_able_the-arrogance-of-the-able-bodied-is-stag_2955105.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/barbara-kingsolver-200_able_the-arrogance-of-the-able-bodied-is-stag_2955105.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/barbara-kingsolver-200_able_the-arrogance-of-the-able-bodied-is-stag_2955105.png) > “The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes, maybe we'd like to be able to get places quickly, and carry things in both hands but only because we have to keep up with the rest of you ... We would rather be just like us, and have that be all right.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## 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 how able-bodied privilege can foster arrogance and a desire for others to conform to its standards. **In simple terms:** Able-bodied people may act arrogantly, expecting others to match them. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect diverse abilities. Themes privilege empathy inclusion Mood reflective critical Type social commentary ethical When to use this quote - workplace - public policy - education - media representation Key Concepts social hierarchy ability bias Questions to Reflect On - How does privilege shape attitudes toward disability? - What can be done to foster humility? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic barriers faced by disabled individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Disabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disabilities/) ## Related quotes > [Part of what makes you great as a young player can hurt you at the end of your career, in terms of you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cone/part-of-what-makes-you-great-as-a-young-player-can-hurt-you-at-the/) [David Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cone/) > [“Language can never 'pin down' slavery, genocide, war. Nor should it yearn for the arrogance to be able to do so. Its force, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/language-can-never-pin-down-slavery-genocide-war-nor-should-it-yearn/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I don't like to carry things in my pockets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ej-johnson/i-don-t-like-to-carry-things-in-my-pockets/) [EJ Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ej-johnson/) > [We must carry things beyond conversation to conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-evans/we-must-carry-things-beyond-conversation-to-conclusion/) [Richard L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-evans/) > [I often carry things to read so that I will not have to look at the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-often-carry-things-to-read-so-that-i-will-not-have-to-look-at-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [We all carry these things inside that no one else can see. They hold us down like anchors, they drown us out at sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/we-all-carry-these-things-inside-that-no-one-else-can-see-they-hold-2/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [We all carry these things, inside that no one else can see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam/we-all-carry-these-things-inside-that-no-one-else-can-see/) [Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam/) > [We carry these things inside us that no one else can see they weigh us down like anchors they carry us out to sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/we-carry-these-things-inside-us-that-no-one-else-can-see-they-weigh/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Technology is for us. All of us. People who carry things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-carmody/technology-is-for-us-all-of-us-people-who-carry-things/) Tim Carmody > [You carry the things that you do well, you try to cut the things that you aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gardner-minshew/you-carry-the-things-that-you-do-well-you-try-to-cut-the-things-that/) [Gardner Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gardner-minshew/) > [We carry these things inside that no one else can see they hold us down like anchors they drown us out of sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-carry-these-things-inside-that-no-one-else-can-see-they-hold-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have the best Paralympic sport in the world because of the integration with the able-bodied tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/we-have-the-best-paralympic-sport-in-the-world-because-of-the/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [When the disabled and able-bodied worlds collide in normal life, many are unsure how to act and what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/when-the-disabled-and-able-bodied-worlds-collide-in-normal-life-many/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [It's hard enough for disabled people to get acting jobs without able-bodied people taking them. As an actor, I know that I'm not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-blue/it-s-hard-enough-for-disabled-people-to-get-acting-jobs-without-able/) [Josh Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-blue/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes, maybe we'd like to be able to get places quickly, and carry things in both hands but only because we have to keep up with the rest of you ... 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