--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem of living is at bottom an…" description: "\"The problem of living is at bottom an economic one. And this alone is bad enough, even in a period of so-called \"normalcy.\" But living has been conside..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/benton-mackaye-42462_bottom_the-problem-of-living-is-at-bottom-an-ec_3046491.jpg" --- # The problem of living is at bottom an economic one. And… ![“The problem of living is at bottom an economic one. And this alone is bad enough, even in a period of so-called "normalcy." But living has been considerably complicated of late in various ways - by war, by questions of personal liberty, and by "menaces" of one kind or another.” quote by Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/benton-mackaye-42462_bottom_the-problem-of-living-is-at-bottom-an-ec_3046491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/benton-mackaye-42462_bottom_the-problem-of-living-is-at-bottom-an-ec_3046491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/benton-mackaye-42462_bottom_the-problem-of-living-is-at-bottom-an-ec_3046491.jpg) > “The problem of living is at bottom an economic one. And this alone is bad enough, even in a period of so-called "normalcy." But living has been considerably complicated of late in various ways - by war, by questions of personal liberty, and by "menaces" of one kind or another.” [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s core challenge is economic, worsened by war, liberty issues, and various threats. **In simple terms:** Economic pressures dominate life, especially with war and liberty concerns. Key Takeaway Address economic roots of personal struggles. Themes economics war liberty complexity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - budgeting - career planning - political activism - personal finance - risk assessment Key Concepts materialism political economy social stability Questions to Reflect On - How do economic factors shape your daily choices? - What non‑economic pressures affect you most? A Different Perspective Economic focus may overlook emotional or spiritual needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Normalcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normalcy/) [Personal liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-liberty/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“The first problem of living is to minimize friction with the crowds that surround you on all sides.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-first-problem-of-living-is-to-minimize-friction-with-the-crowds/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [The true problem of living is to keep our hearts sweet and gentle in the hardest conditions and experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/the-true-problem-of-living-is-to-keep-our-hearts-sweet-and-gentle-in/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [The problem of aging is the problem of living. There is no simple solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/the-problem-of-aging-is-the-problem-of-living-there-is-no-simple/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [The problem with living outside the law is that you no longer have its protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-problem-with-living-outside-the-law-is-that-you-no-longer-have/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“The problem with living with miracles was that they made everything seem plausible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-problem-with-living-with-miracles-was-that-they-made-everything/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [The problem isn't that we have bodies; the problem is that we're not living in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/the-problem-isn-t-that-we-have-bodies-the-problem-is-that-we-re-not/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [The problem that we, as living organisms, face - and not we only, humans, but any living organism faces - is the management of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/the-problem-that-we-as-living-organisms-face-and-not-we-only-humans/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [You're either living in the problem or you're living in the solution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/you-re-either-living-in-the-problem-or-you-re-living-in-the-solution/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [The main problem of living in the city that never sleeps that neither did I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-dahvana-headley/the-main-problem-of-living-in-the-city-that-never-sleeps-that-neither/) [Maria Dahvana Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-dahvana-headley/) > [That's the problem with living in New York. You've got no New York to run away to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/that-s-the-problem-with-living-in-new-york-you-ve-got-no-new-york-to/) [Amor Towles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amor-towles/) > [The problem with living so long is that we get used to it. We watch the mortals age and wither and die around us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/the-problem-with-living-so-long-is-that-we-get-used-to-it-we-watch/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [“When this uneasy feeling forms, in a context of awareness, the person is thereby already living beyond the problem, already living in and toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-weiser-cornell/when-this-uneasy-feeling-forms-in-a-context-of-awareness-the-person/) Ann Weiser Cornell > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [... we have gratefully to receive from the hand of God the institution of the state with its magistrates as a means of preservation……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/we-have-gratefully-to-receive-from-the-hand-of-god-the-institution-of/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) ## More by Benton MacKaye > [“The railway 'opens up' a country as a site for civilization; the trailway should 'open up' a country as an escape from civilization... The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/the-railway-opens-up-a-country-as-a-site-for-civilization-the/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [A period recourse into the wilds is not a retreat into secret silent sanctums to escape a wicked world, it is to take breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/a-period-recourse-into-the-wilds-is-not-a-retreat-into-secret-silent/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [Wilderness is two things-fact and feeling. It is a fund of knowledge and a spring of influence. It is the ultimate source of health-terrestrial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/wilderness-is-two-things-fact-and-feeling-it-is-a-fund-of-knowledge/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [However useful may be the National Parks and Forests of the West for those affording the Pullman fare to reach them, what is needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/however-useful-may-be-the-national-parks-and-forests-of-the-west-for/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [“The ultimate purpose? There are three things: 1) to walk; 2) to see; 3) to see what you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/the-ultimate-purpose-there-are-three-things-1-to-walk-2-to-see-3-to/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [There are three things: to walk, to see, and to see what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/there-are-three-things-to-walk-to-see-and-to-see-what-you-see/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [One function, at least, of true wilderness is to provide a refuge from the crassitudes of civilization-whether visible, intangible, audible-whether of billboard, of pavement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/one-function-at-least-of-true-wilderness-is-to-provide-a-refuge-from/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [My own doctrine of organization is that any body of people coming together for a purpose (whatever it may be) should consist of persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/my-own-doctrine-of-organization-is-that-any-body-of-people-coming/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) > [For we need this thing wilderness far more than it needs us. Civilizations (like glaciers) come and go, but the mountain and its forest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/for-we-need-this-thing-wilderness-far-more-than-it-needs-us/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) [Explore all 10 Benton MacKaye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/one-thing-you-learned-as-a-cubs-fan-when-you-bought-you-ticket-you/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) Browse all 2,558 Bottom quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem of living is at bottom an economic one. 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