Addiction Quote by David Foster Wallace
““Drug addicts driven to crime to finance their drug addiction are not often inclined toward violent crime. Violence requires all different kinds of energy, and most drug addicts like to expend their energy not on their professional crime but on what their professional crime lets them afford. Drug addicts are often burglars, therefore.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Consider the Lobster, 2004
Argues that drug addicts often commit non‑violent crimes like burglary, not violent offenses, due to the nature of their addiction.
In simple terms: Drug addicts usually commit non‑violent crimes.
Key Takeaway
Address addiction without assuming violence.
Themes
addiction
crime
violence
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
social
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- rehabilitation programs
- public health initiatives
Key Concepts
social behavior
economic pressure
criminal justice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can society differentiate between addiction‑related crime and other offenses?
- What support reduces burglary among addicts?
A Different Perspective
Not all addicts fit this pattern; context varies.
![“[T]he truth is that drug addicts have a disease. It only takes a short time in the streets to realize that out-of-control addiction is a medical problem, not a form of recreational or criminal behavior. And the more society treats drug addiction as a crime, the more money drug dealers will make…” quote by Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/983/jay-z-713_addict_t-he-truth-is-that-drug-addicts-have-a-d_131312.jpg)
![“[Salvation] is a curious process of divine burglary. The first thing to be wrested from one by a God who said 'Thou shalt not steal' is one's good opinion of one's self.” quote by Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/359/elizabeth-goudge-2888_burglary_salvation-is-a-curious-process-of-divine_266718.jpg)
