--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Desperation is like stealing from the…" description: "\"Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.\" — Douglas Horton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png" --- # Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a… ![“Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.” quote by Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png) > “Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.” [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desperation can attract dangerous attention, similar to provoking organized crime, leading to unintended consequences. **In simple terms:** Desperation draws risky attention. Key Takeaway Seek help before desperation escalates. Themes desperation danger attention Mood cautionary motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - financial crisis - personal crisis - legal trouble - emotional turmoil Key Concepts risk management psychology Questions to Reflect On - What risks arise when you act out of desperation? - How can you channel desperation positively? A Different Perspective Desperation may also inspire creative solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Desperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperation/) [Mafia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mafia/) ## Related quotes > [What little reality television I've seen seems to be about economic desperation. Like the marathon dancing of the Great Depression, which should give us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/what-little-reality-television-i-ve-seen-seems-to-be-about-economic/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Desperation is like a spilled drink; even if it's delicious, no one will get near it. Cultivate an aura of glamorous unapproachability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/desperation-is-like-a-spilled-drink-even-if-it-s-delicious-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So how can I hold Tobias’s desperation against him, like I’m better than him, like I’ve never let my own brokenness blind me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/so-how-can-i-hold-tobias-s-desperation-against-him-like-i-m-better/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“What I feel for you … It’s all-consuming,he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine again. ‘It’s almost debilitating. It’s too much. It’s … I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/what-i-feel-for-you-it-s-all-consuming-he-breathed-leaning-his/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) > [Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/throwing-away-food-is-like-stealing-from-the-table-of-those-who-are/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Why would anyone steal a shopping cart? It's like stealing a two-year-old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/why-would-anyone-steal-a-shopping-cart-it-s-like-stealing-a-two-year/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [“Photography is like stealing.You rob someone of a moment that exposes something essential about their character,their soul if you like.there are people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/photography-is-like-stealing-you-rob-someone-of-a-moment-that-exposes/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [I hate to say it, and Apple never likes it, but I love anything that's hacker oriented. I don't like passing it onto others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-hate-to-say-it-and-apple-never-likes-it-but-i-love-anything-that-s/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [This job is like stealing. I travel first class in a nice plane. I have a driver waiting for me. I go in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/this-job-is-like-stealing-i-travel-first-class-in-a-nice-plane-i-have/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [ \[Voice acting\] is such an easy job. It's like stealing money, really. Which I'm always happy to do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/voice-acting-is-such-an-easy-job-it-s-like-stealing-money-really/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [I get that rush that comes when you know you're doing something wrong and are getting away with it, like stealing from the school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-get-that-rush-that-comes-when-you-know-you-re-doing-something-wrong/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Wasting food is like stealing from the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/wasting-food-is-like-stealing-from-the-poor/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Throwing away good food was like stealing from poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/throwing-away-good-food-was-like-stealing-from-poor-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Stealing from a clever is like stealing from yourself, it is hypothetical”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/stealing-from-a-clever-is-like-stealing-from-yourself-it-is/) [Dr.P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [It seems to me like stealing, for men and women to live in the world and do nothing to make it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/it-seems-to-me-like-stealing-for-men-and-women-to-live-in-the-world/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) ## More by Douglas Horton > [Why ask why? If it's raining it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/why-ask-why-if-it-s-raining-it-just-is/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [Being sorry is the highest act of selfishness, seeing value only after discarding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/being-sorry-is-the-highest-act-of-selfishness-seeing-value-only-after/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [The more we are filled with thoughts of lust the less we find true romantic love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/the-more-we-are-filled-with-thoughts-of-lust-the-less-we-find-true/) [Douglas Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/) > [If wishes were fishes we'd all be throwing nets. 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Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Horton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-mafia-you-stand-a-good-chance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-mafia-you-stand-a-good-chance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/douglas-horton-11608_attention_desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-ma_2885564.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.” — Douglas Horton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Douglas Horton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-horton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Desperation is like stealing from the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-mafia-you-stand-a-good-chance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-horton/desperation-is-like-stealing-from-the-mafia-you-stand-a-good-chance/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```