--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We decided in the mid-1960s that all poor…" description: "\"We decided in the mid-1960s that all poor people are the same: they are all poor. We know they're poor because we have defined a poverty line, and they..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/charles-murray-6573_line_we-decided-in-the-mid-1960s-that-all-poo_2225135.jpg" --- # We decided in the mid-1960s that all poor people are the… ![“We decided in the mid-1960s that all poor people are the same: they are all poor. We know they're poor because we have defined a poverty line, and they're all underneath it.” quote by Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/charles-murray-6573_line_we-decided-in-the-mid-1960s-that-all-poo_2225135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/charles-murray-6573_line_we-decided-in-the-mid-1960s-that-all-poo_2225135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/charles-murray-6573_line_we-decided-in-the-mid-1960s-that-all-poo_2225135.jpg) > “We decided in the mid-1960s that all poor people are the same: they are all poor. We know they're poor because we have defined a poverty line, and they're all underneath it.” [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poverty is defined by a statistical line, treating all poor people as a single group. **In simple terms:** Poverty is measured by a line that groups everyone below it. Key Takeaway Recognize individual differences beyond statistics. Themes poverty statistics stereotyping Mood critical analytical Type sociological policy When to use this quote - public policy - social services - community outreach Key Concepts sociology economics policy Questions to Reflect On - How does defining poverty affect policy? - What individual stories are missed? A Different Perspective Overlooks structural causes and personal narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1960S Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1960s-poor-4982850/) [Defined Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined-poverty-4982851/) [Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-poor/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-people/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-line-233494/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) ## Related quotes > [While easy to understand, the income-based poverty line has limitations. 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