--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Climbing the economic ladder has been…" description: "\"Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I still feel a great deal of guilt towards those I left behind.\" — Elena Ferrante" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png" --- # Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I… ![“Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I still feel a great deal of guilt towards those I left behind.” quote by Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png) > “Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I still feel a great deal of guilt towards those I left behind.” [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Climbing socioeconomic ranks feels hard and brings guilt toward those left behind, revealing tension between ambition and loyalty. **In simple terms:** Hard work for success can cause guilt toward others. Key Takeaway Balance personal advancement with empathy. Themes ambition guilt social mobility Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - family obligations - community support - self‑reflection Key Concepts socioeconomic inequality psychological conflict Questions to Reflect On - How can you support those you feel guilty about? - What does success mean to you beyond status? A Different Perspective Guilt may be mitigated by giving back, not just feeling remorse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbing/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Left behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-behind/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [Oftentimes when you have the federal government or others step in and start to raise minimum wage, what happens is you take away or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-madden/oftentimes-when-you-have-the-federal-government-or-others-step-in-and/) [Kevin Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-madden/) > [I think it is inflationary. I think it actually is counterproductive in many ways. You end up costing jobs from people who are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/i-think-it-is-inflationary-i-think-it-actually-is-counterproductive/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [When I talk about the C.I.A. stuff, I feel guilt because I left. I really believed in that job, and my colleagues are still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-king/when-i-talk-about-the-c-i-a-stuff-i-feel-guilt-because-i-left-i/) [Tom King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-king/) > [Which to this day is a source of enormous guilt, because I left with three classes to go in the business school to sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-selleck/which-to-this-day-is-a-source-of-enormous-guilt-because-i-left-with/) [Tom Selleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-selleck/) > [It's so easy for anyone to deal with their own guilt of being a middle-class white music fan by pointing to other people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-koenig/it-s-so-easy-for-anyone-to-deal-with-their-own-guilt-of-being-a/) [Ezra Koenig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-koenig/) > [“The question isn't whether we're guilty; it's how we deal with that guilt. Do we seek to shift it; seek to work it off;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mckinley/the-question-isn-t-whether-we-re-guilty-it-s-how-we-deal-with-that/) [Mike McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mckinley/) > [He could deal with his guilt all by himself. Guilt didn't add up to love, an emotion she was done with forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/he-could-deal-with-his-guilt-all-by-himself-guilt-didn-t-add-up-to/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“Chances are that he’s experiencing a great deal of guilt and self-loathing. Someone needs to help him come to terms with that. Otherwise, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/chances-are-that-he-s-experiencing-a-great-deal-of-guilt-and-self/) [Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/) > [The one feeling that settled in and stayed there for a long while, and I still deal with, is guilt. I was there. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltrip/the-one-feeling-that-settled-in-and-stayed-there-for-a-long-while-and/) [Michael Waltrip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltrip/) > [With wisdom and grit, my mom was able to lift me and my family to a higher rung on the economic ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/with-wisdom-and-grit-my-mom-was-able-to-lift-me-and-my-family-to-a/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“Smocks were the official uniform of those hanging on to the bottom rungs of the economic ladder; a parachute that would never open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/smocks-were-the-official-uniform-of-those-hanging-on-to-the-bottom/) [daryl gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [The poor pay more, and that's one of the reasons people get trapped at the bottom of the economic ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-poor-pay-more-and-that-s-one-of-the-reasons-people-get-trapped-at/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Working 40 hours a week used to mean a minimum standard of living and a foothold on the first rung of the economic ladder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-speier/working-40-hours-a-week-used-to-mean-a-minimum-standard-of-living-and/) [Jackie Speier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-speier/) > [Hispanics' welfare consumption - and their affinity for the Democratic message - will decline over time as they climb the economic ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/hispanics-welfare-consumption-and-their-affinity-for-the-democratic/) [Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/) > [Put plainly, China seems determined to steal its way up the economic ladder, at our expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-wray/put-plainly-china-seems-determined-to-steal-its-way-up-the-economic/) [Christopher A. Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-a-wray/) ## More by Elena Ferrante > [The circle of an empty day is brutal and at night it tightens around your neck like a noose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/the-circle-of-an-empty-day-is-brutal-and-at-night-it-tightens-around/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“Quanto a mim, várias vezes ao dia me acontece de gostar de alguém. Você não? Durante pouco tempo, depois passa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/quanto-a-mim-v-rias-vezes-ao-dia-me-acontece-de-gostar-de-algu-m-voc/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“Svakog dana sam sebi ponavljala: to sam što sam, i nema mi druge nego da se s tim pomirim; takva sam rođena, u ovom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/svakog-dana-sam-sebi-ponavljala-to-sam-to-sam-i-nema-mi-druge-nego-da/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“We have too much stuff inside and it swells us, breaks us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/we-have-too-much-stuff-inside-and-it-swells-us-breaks-us/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“To be born in that city is useful for only one thing: to have always known, almost instinctively, what today, with endless fine distinctions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/to-be-born-in-that-city-is-useful-for-only-one-thing-to-have-always/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [As a girl - twelve, thirteen years old - I was absolutely certain that a good book had to have a man as its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/as-a-girl-twelve-thirteen-years-old-i-was-absolutely-certain-that-a/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“Religion will disappear from men's consciousness when, finally, we have constructed a world of equals, without class distinctions, and with a sound of scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/religion-will-disappear-from-men-s-consciousness-when-finally-we-have/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [Elena Ferrante is the author of several novels. There is nothing mysterious about her, given how she manifests herself - perhaps even too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/elena-ferrante-is-the-author-of-several-novels-there-is-nothing/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [Women, in all fields - whether mothers or not - still encounter an extraordinary number of obstacles. They have to hold too many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/women-in-all-fields-whether-mothers-or-not-still-encounter-an/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“Once, she closed the book abruptly and said with annoyance, "That's enough." "Why?" "Because I've had it, it's always the same story: inside something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/once-she-closed-the-book-abruptly-and-said-with-annoyance-that-s/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“She became transparent skin over bones, her eyes drowning in violet wells, her hands damp spider webs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/she-became-transparent-skin-over-bones-her-eyes-drowning-in-violet/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“When you haven’t been in the world long, it’s hard to comprehend what disasters are at the origin of a sense of disaster: maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/when-you-haven-t-been-in-the-world-long-it-s-hard-to-comprehend-what/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“As long as one writes only for oneself, writing is a free act by means of which, to use an oxymoron, one secretly opens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/as-long-as-one-writes-only-for-oneself-writing-is-a-free-act-by-means/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“We had the same sensitivity to beautiful things, the same need to enjoy them, the same need to search for the right words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/we-had-the-same-sensitivity-to-beautiful-things-the-same-need-to/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [Writers, because they write, are condemned never to be readers of their own stories...The memory of first putting a story into words will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/writers-because-they-write-are-condemned-never-to-be-readers-of-their/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) [Explore all 122 Elena Ferrante quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I still feel a great deal of guilt towards those I left behind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elena Ferrante" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-very-hard-for-me-i-still-feel-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-very-hard-for-me-i-still-feel-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/elena-ferrante-2338_behinds_climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-ve_835140.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Climbing the economic ladder has been very hard for me; I still feel a great deal of guilt towards those I…” — Elena Ferrante", "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": "Elena Ferrante", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Climbing the economic ladder has been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-very-hard-for-me-i-still-feel-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/climbing-the-economic-ladder-has-been-very-hard-for-me-i-still-feel-a/#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 } } ] } ```