--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was the thing about being homeless…" description: "\"“That was the thing about being homeless. We know how other people live because we’ve lived it. But they haven’t lived like us. So really, when you tho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/deb-richardson-moore-231849_homeless_that-was-the-thing-about-being-homeless_724725.jpg" --- # That was the thing about being homeless. We know how other… ![“That was the thing about being homeless. We know how other people live because we’ve lived it. But they haven’t lived like us. So really, when you thought about it, the homeless had a much wider world view. They knew more. They’d seen more. So where did the others get off being so disrespectful?…” quote by Deb Richardson-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/deb-richardson-moore-231849_homeless_that-was-the-thing-about-being-homeless_724725.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/deb-richardson-moore-231849_homeless_that-was-the-thing-about-being-homeless_724725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/deb-richardson-moore-231849_homeless_that-was-the-thing-about-being-homeless_724725.jpg) > ““That was the thing about being homeless. We know how other people live because we’ve lived it. But they haven’t lived like us. So really, when you thought about it, the homeless had a much wider world view. They knew more. They’d seen more. So where did the others get off being so disrespectful? Being so dismissive? Being so downright superior?”” Deb Richardson-Moore ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Homelessness expands perspective, yet others remain dismissive and superior. **In simple terms:** Homeless see more of the world. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and respect for all. Themes homelessness empathy social hierarchy awareness Mood empathetic critical Type Homeless:1 Homelessness:1 World view:1 Thought Homeless:0 Homeless Know:0 Homeless Wider:0 Did Disrespectful:0 When to use this quote - public policy - community outreach - personal reflection Key Concepts sociology human experience bias awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can we change perceptions? - What actions support homeless individuals? A Different Perspective Dismissiveness hampers understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Homeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless/) [Homelessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homelessness/) [World view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-view/) ## Related quotes > [I grew up homeless, you know, lived in and out of U-Haul trucks and, you know, apartment houses, friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-driver/i-grew-up-homeless-you-know-lived-in-and-out-of-u-haul-trucks-and-you/) [Donald Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-driver/) > [I know what it's like to be hungry. I know what it's like to be homeless. I know what it's like to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-hungry-i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [The guy I thought was right, turned out to be wrong. He decided in his heart, I did not belong. I thought homeless was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-guy-i-thought-was-right-turned-out-to-be-wrong-he-decided-in-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is true, that which I have revealed to you; there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-true-that-which-i-have-revealed-to-you-there-is-no-god-no/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Home is where the heart is, I thought now, gathering myself together in Betty's Luncheonette. I had no heart any more, it had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/home-is-where-the-heart-is-i-thought-now-gathering-myself-together-in/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream, a grotesque and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-no-god-no-universe-no-human-race-no-earthly-life-no-heaven/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Maybe that was the dragon part of me coming out, but the thought of being homeless didn’t scare me as much as losing one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-k-schmidt/maybe-that-was-the-dragon-part-of-me-coming-out-but-the-thought-of/) Jamie K. Schmidt > [“Meditation doesn’t lead to enlightenment because in meditation the ego is trying to destroy the ego.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-donovan/meditation-doesn-t-lead-to-enlightenment-because-in-meditation-the/) [Donald O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-donovan/) > [The public thinks that homelessness is about not having any accommodation to go to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/the-public-thinks-that-homelessness-is-about-not-having-any/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [To be honest, busking was a massive part of becoming aware of homelessness. I used to run into a lot of 'Big Issue' sellers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/to-be-honest-busking-was-a-massive-part-of-becoming-aware-of/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [Covid-19 has lit an even hotter fire in me to become a more active participant in advocating for homeless people and homelessness relief. Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myha-la/covid-19-has-lit-an-even-hotter-fire-in-me-to-become-a-more-active/) [Myha'la](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myha-la/) > [“And when Prohibition came along, Dr. Sharpe’s Shakti Tonic took off like a rocket, mostly due to its hefty eighteen percent alcohol content.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-donovan/and-when-prohibition-came-along-dr-sharpe-s-shakti-tonic-took-off/) [Donald O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-donovan/) > [“They needed someone to hate, a tangible focus for their remorse and disappointment, and I’d been elected, the projection of their own inner hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-donovan/they-needed-someone-to-hate-a-tangible-focus-for-their-remorse-and/) [Donald O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-donovan/) > [We have an obligation at the local level to do everything we can with the resources we have. And we do those things. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-have-an-obligation-at-the-local-level-to-do-everything-we-can-with/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) ## More Homeless quotes > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Covid-19 has lit an even hotter fire in me to become a more active participant in advocating for homeless people and homelessness relief. Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myha-la/covid-19-has-lit-an-even-hotter-fire-in-me-to-become-a-more-active/) [Myha'la](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myha-la/) > [You don't want to end up telling somebody who's homeless or a refugee that stress is all perceptual, because it sure isn't in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/you-don-t-want-to-end-up-telling-somebody-who-s-homeless-or-a-refugee/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [I had friends who lived on my couch because they were going to be homeless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-friends-who-lived-on-my-couch-because-they-were-going-to-be/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [Something will be there when the flood recedes. We know that. It will be those people now standing in the water, and on those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/something-will-be-there-when-the-flood-recedes-we-know-that-it-will/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone. Missed is the laughter of children, the commotion of teenagers, and the tender, loving concern of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/those-who-grieve-frequently-find-themselves-alone-missed-is-the/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [For my whole life I have dedicated myself to those who have been subjected to injustice. I've conducted investigations and written in newspapers about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/for-my-whole-life-i-have-dedicated-myself-to-those-who-have-been/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [These days many politicians are demanding change. Just like homeless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/these-days-many-politicians-are-demanding-change-just-like-homeless/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [With me, you never know what is going to happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-ivanisevic/with-me-you-never-know-what-is-going-to-happen/) [Goran Ivanisevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-ivanisevic/) > [People give me money and I don't know why, my real collection plate is an empty cup held by a homeless guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/people-give-me-money-and-i-don-t-know-why-my-real-collection-plate-is/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [“We saw so many sad and helpless people. I remember looking at people on the TeeVee from other countries who was all drenched and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-antieau/we-saw-so-many-sad-and-helpless-people-i-remember-looking-at-people/) Kim Antieau > [I want to deal with the homeless situation here in Washington, D.C. I think it is a travesty that we've got men - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-deal-with-the-homeless-situation-here-in-washington-d-c-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My family was actually homeless for several years when I was a kid. It's a bit unusual for a member of Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyrsten-sinema/my-family-was-actually-homeless-for-several-years-when-i-was-a-kid-it/) [Kyrsten Sinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyrsten-sinema/) [Browse all 815 Homeless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That was the thing about being homeless. We know how other people live because we’ve lived it. But they haven’t lived like us. So really, when you thought about it, the homeless had a much wider world view. They knew more. They’d seen more. So where did the others get off being so disrespectful? Being so dismissive? 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