---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not just that people are staying…"
description: "\"“It is not just that people are staying physically put. They are also likelier to stay trapped in the same income group. America, in particular, which ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg"
---

#  It is not just that people are staying physically put…

![“It is not just that people are staying physically put. They are also likelier to stay trapped in the same income group. America, in particular, which had traditionally shown the highest class mobility of any Western country, now has the lowest.” quote by Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg)

> ““It is not just that people are staying physically put. They are also likelier to stay trapped in the same income group. America, in particular, which had traditionally shown the highest class mobility of any Western country, now has the lowest.””

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Economic mobility in the U.S. has stalled, with people remaining in the same income bracket, making America the least mobile among Western nations.

**In simple terms:** People stay stuck in the same income level, reducing class mobility.

Key Takeaway

Address policies that promote education and job opportunities.

Themes

economic mobility income inequality social stratification

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

sociological policy‑focused

When to use this quote

- career planning
- public policy design
- community development

Key Concepts

intergenerational wealth labor market dynamics education access

Questions to Reflect On

- What policies could most effectively increase upward mobility?
- How does geographic location affect income stability?

A Different Perspective

Mobility trends can be influenced by macro‑economic shocks and regional disparities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Class Mobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-mobility-1123093/) [Mobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobility/) [People Staying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-staying-1123095/) [Staying Physically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-physically-506326/) [Trapped Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trapped-income-1123094/)

## Related quotes

> [“African Americans, like other groups, have always tried to translate upward class mobility into geographic mobility, but remain physically and psychically close to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pattillo/african-americans-like-other-groups-have-always-tried-to-translate/)

[Mary Pattillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pattillo/)

> [Toughing out the winter is a dedication to my heritage, both in terms of not going 'soft' by kowtowing to nature's volatility and staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gondelman/toughing-out-the-winter-is-a-dedication-to-my-heritage-both-in-terms/)

[Josh Gondelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gondelman/)

> [Staying physically active - walking or running every day - and eating healthily is the best way to stay fit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-conrad/staying-physically-active-walking-or-running-every-day-and-eating/)

[Lauren Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-conrad/)

> [Working at the 'Review', if anything, the impression you got was, 'I'll never be good enough. I'll never work hard enough. I'll never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-nunez/working-at-the-review-if-anything-the-impression-you-got-was-i-ll/)

[Sigrid Nunez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-nunez/)

> [“Generations of people staying close to home, there for each other, doing what they knew best, enjoying being a burden to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/generations-of-people-staying-close-to-home-there-for-each-other/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [Especially the people staying No. 1, I bet they have a lot of pressure. They have to always fight, not even on the court,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kei-nishikori/especially-the-people-staying-no-1-i-bet-they-have-a-lot-of-pressure/)

[Kei Nishikori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kei-nishikori/)

> [The fire was followed by a period of grieving and then by an incredible lightness, freedom, and mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-puryear/the-fire-was-followed-by-a-period-of-grieving-and-then-by-an/)

[Martin Puryear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-puryear/)

> [You once liked the blissful mobility, but then you wonder, who's the real you? And who's the chap on the screen? You know, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/you-once-liked-the-blissful-mobility-but-then-you-wonder-who-s-the/)

[Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/)

> [We all have an interest, and a duty to future generations, to ensure that the benefits of mobility that we now take for granted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-morley/we-all-have-an-interest-and-a-duty-to-future-generations-to-ensure/)

[Elliot Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-morley/)

> [“In addition to the transience of their members, churches themselves face a crisis of hypermobility. Many churches have put down only shallow roots in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-christopher-smith/in-addition-to-the-transience-of-their-members-churches-themselves/)

[C. Christopher Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-christopher-smith/)

> [Mahindra's brand strategy is about niches across areas of mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-mahindra/mahindra-s-brand-strategy-is-about-niches-across-areas-of-mobility/)

[Anand Mahindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-mahindra/)

> [One set of messages of the society we live in is: Consume. Grow. Do what you want. Amuse yourselves. The very working of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/one-set-of-messages-of-the-society-we-live-in-is-consume-grow-do-what/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [This means that the mind or spirit is present anywhere, because it is nowhere attached to any particular place. And it can remain present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/this-means-that-the-mind-or-spirit-is-present-anywhere-because-it-is/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [As far as income goes, there are three currencies in the world; most people ignore two. The three currencies are time, income and mobility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/as-far-as-income-goes-there-are-three-currencies-in-the-world-most/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

> [Obama's perverse view of fairness threatens to create reverse incentives, militating against growth, jobs, expansion and upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/obama-s-perverse-view-of-fairness-threatens-to-create-reverse/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

## More by Edward Luce

> [“Davos has become the emblem of a global elite that has lost its ability to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/davos-has-become-the-emblem-of-a-global-elite-that-has-lost-its/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“By any numerical measure, humanity is becoming rapidly less poor. But between half and two-thirds of people in the West have been treading water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/by-any-numerical-measure-humanity-is-becoming-rapidly-less-poor-but/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“Cowen detects conformism even in the liveliest Silicon Valley companies. Most of its denizens wear some variation on the casual hipster uniform and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/cowen-detects-conformism-even-in-the-liveliest-silicon-valley/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“It would also require a conscious effort to look at the world from unfamiliar standpoints and admit that the West has no monopoly on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-would-also-require-a-conscious-effort-to-look-at-the-world-from/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“Almost half of Americans would be unable to pay a $400 medical emergency bill without going into debt.67”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/almost-half-of-americans-would-be-unable-to-pay-a-400-medical/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“In the US, the more liberal a city’s politics, the higher the rate of inequality.45”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/in-the-us-the-more-liberal-a-city-s-politics-the-higher-the-rate-of/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“With chisels and pickaxes we made our tiny contributions to this orgy of historic vandalism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/with-chisels-and-pickaxes-we-made-our-tiny-contributions-to-this-orgy/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“History tells us that inequality soars when societies develop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/history-tells-us-that-inequality-soars-when-societies-develop/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“the Toil Index – the number of working hours it takes a median worker to pay the median rent in one of America’s big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/the-toil-index-the-number-of-working-hours-it-takes-a-median-worker/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“Today’s equivalent is probably ‘get an engineering degree’, but it will not necessarily be as lucrative. A third of Americans who graduated in STEM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/today-s-equivalent-is-probably-get-an-engineering-degree-but-it-will/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“Shortly afterwards Addis Ababa launched a crackdown on its opponents that resulted in hundreds of deaths. If America’s president was in two minds about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/shortly-afterwards-addis-ababa-launched-a-crackdown-on-its-opponents/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“Émile Durkheim, the father of modern sociology, said that when societies hit a civilisational break the suicide rate soars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/mile-durkheim-the-father-of-modern-sociology-said-that-when-societies/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“In 1970 only about one in seven American families lived in neighbourhoods that were unambiguously ‘affluent’ or ‘poor’.40 By 2007 that number had risen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/in-1970-only-about-one-in-seven-american-families-lived-in/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“M + D = C, Monopoly plus Discretion equals Corruption”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/m-d-c-monopoly-plus-discretion-equals-corruption/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

> [“No bourgeoisie, no democracy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/no-bourgeoisie-no-democracy/)

[Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

[Explore all 68 Edward Luce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/)

## More Mobility quotes

> [Obama's perverse view of fairness threatens to create reverse incentives, militating against growth, jobs, expansion and upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/obama-s-perverse-view-of-fairness-threatens-to-create-reverse/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [As far as income goes, there are three currencies in the world; most people ignore two. The three currencies are time, income and mobility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/as-far-as-income-goes-there-are-three-currencies-in-the-world-most/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

> [This means that the mind or spirit is present anywhere, because it is nowhere attached to any particular place. And it can remain present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/this-means-that-the-mind-or-spirit-is-present-anywhere-because-it-is/)

[Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/)

> [One set of messages of the society we live in is: Consume. Grow. Do what you want. Amuse yourselves. The very working of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/one-set-of-messages-of-the-society-we-live-in-is-consume-grow-do-what/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [Mahindra's brand strategy is about niches across areas of mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-mahindra/mahindra-s-brand-strategy-is-about-niches-across-areas-of-mobility/)

[Anand Mahindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-mahindra/)

> [“In addition to the transience of their members, churches themselves face a crisis of hypermobility. Many churches have put down only shallow roots in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-christopher-smith/in-addition-to-the-transience-of-their-members-churches-themselves/)

[C. Christopher Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-christopher-smith/)

> [We all have an interest, and a duty to future generations, to ensure that the benefits of mobility that we now take for granted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-morley/we-all-have-an-interest-and-a-duty-to-future-generations-to-ensure/)

[Elliot Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-morley/)

> [You once liked the blissful mobility, but then you wonder, who's the real you? And who's the chap on the screen? You know, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/you-once-liked-the-blissful-mobility-but-then-you-wonder-who-s-the/)

[Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/)

> [The fire was followed by a period of grieving and then by an incredible lightness, freedom, and mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-puryear/the-fire-was-followed-by-a-period-of-grieving-and-then-by-an/)

[Martin Puryear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-puryear/)

> [As IT enters the mobile-cloud era, IT providers need to be more innovative about addressing customers' fast changing needs. Over the past two years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/as-it-enters-the-mobile-cloud-era-it-providers-need-to-be-more/)

[Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/)

> [India's rigid social structure limits intergenerational economic mobility and fosters acceptance of vast wealth disparities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-rattner/india-s-rigid-social-structure-limits-intergenerational-economic/)

[Steven Rattner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-rattner/)

> [Social mobility decreased under Labour and under the current government it is reversing. The differences between the poorest and richest are returning to Victorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-trigell/social-mobility-decreased-under-labour-and-under-the-current/)

[Jonathan Trigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-trigell/)

> [Three ingredients of luxury lifestyle design are time, income, and mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/three-ingredients-of-luxury-lifestyle-design-are-time-income-and/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

> [When a mother comes home with her new baby, she will find her abstractions are all concrete now. 'Freedom' now means being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marni-jackson/when-a-mother-comes-home-with-her-new-baby-she-will-find-her/)

[Marni Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marni-jackson/)

> [In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/in-our-view-the-olympic-idea-involves-a-strong-physical-culture/)

[Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/)

[Browse all 208 Mobility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobility/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is not just that people are staying physically put. They are also likelier to stay trapped in the same income group. America, in particular, which had traditionally shown the highest class mobility of any Western country, now has the lowest.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward Luce"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-physically-put-they-are-also/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mobility"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-physically-put-they-are-also/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/edward-luce-10080_mobility_it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-p_2507503.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is not just that people are staying physically put. They are also likelier to stay trapped in the same…” — Edward Luce",
                "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": "Edward Luce",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is not just that people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-physically-put-they-are-also/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/it-is-not-just-that-people-are-staying-physically-put-they-are-also/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
