--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in the necessity for struggle…" description: "\"I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the bottom of any society.\" — Frances Fox Piven" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png" --- # I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the… ![“I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the bottom of any society.” quote by Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png) > “I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the bottom of any society.” [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that struggle is essential for people at society bottom, as it drives change and empowerment. **In simple terms:** Struggle is necessary for the disadvantaged to achieve progress. Key Takeaway Support grassroots movements that empower marginalized groups. Themes social justice inequality empowerment politics activism Mood hopeful determined Type political philosophical When to use this quote - community organizing - policy reform - education - healthcare access Key Concepts structural inequality collective action social theory Questions to Reflect On - How can society better support those at the bottom? - What role does struggle play in personal growth? A Different Perspective Struggle alone may not guarantee success without systemic support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Necessity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [The necessity for struggle is one of the clever devices through which nature forces individuals to expand, develop, progress, and become strong through resistance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-necessity-for-struggle-is-one-of-the-clever-devices-through-which/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [But instead I usually say that, though it may surprise them, I too believe in the necessity of organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/but-instead-i-usually-say-that-though-it-may-surprise-them-i-too/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [“As a child, I was told by my parents and teachers that if I didn't have what I wanted, I had to either accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleyne-mari-sharp/as-a-child-i-was-told-by-my-parents-and-teachers-that-if-i-didn-t/) Eleyne-Mari Sharp > [The struggle against atheism is foremost and of necessity a struggle against the inadequacy of our own theism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rahner/the-struggle-against-atheism-is-foremost-and-of-necessity-a-struggle/) [Karl Rahner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rahner/) > [I must hold in balance the sense of the futility of effort and the sense of the necessity to struggle; the conviction of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-must-hold-in-balance-the-sense-of-the-futility-of-effort-and-the/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“That was the trouble with California in the 1840's. The life was too easy, there was no necessity for struggle, and men must struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/that-was-the-trouble-with-california-in-the-1840-s-the-life-was-too/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [The struggle of our people for freedom has progressed to the form where all of us must take a stand either for or against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldridge-cleaver/the-struggle-of-our-people-for-freedom-has-progressed-to-the-form/) [Eldridge Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldridge-cleaver/) > [Movies like 'Gul Makai' carry an important message, such movies should be made as it shows us the struggle people go through in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/movies-like-gul-makai-carry-an-important-message-such-movies-should/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Something seems wrong to most people engaged in struggle when they see more people hurt on their own side than on the other side.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-deming/something-seems-wrong-to-most-people-engaged-in-struggle-when-they/) [Barbara Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-deming/) > [“There is now a battle between the culture of love, reciprocity, and compassion and the culture of division, hate, and fear. Only movements like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-women-s-march-organizers/there-is-now-a-battle-between-the-culture-of-love-reciprocity-and/) [The Women's March Organizers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-women-s-march-organizers/) > [“People wo are privileged tend to take their privilege for granted. South Africans are no exception in this regard. We take for granted the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chikane/people-wo-are-privileged-tend-to-take-their-privilege-for-granted/) Frank Chikane > [There was a lot of struggle. People have different perceptions about you and sometimes looks also can limit you as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanshu-chatterjee/there-was-a-lot-of-struggle-people-have-different-perceptions-about/) [Priyanshu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanshu-chatterjee/) > [There is an eternal humanity that crosses through all people, and it's more interesting often when it's about struggle - not people with champagne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-bisset/there-is-an-eternal-humanity-that-crosses-through-all-people-and-it-s/) [Jacqueline Bisset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-bisset/) > [Music is so hard. It's a struggle to get people to care. It's hard to make an impact in today's world because people aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/music-is-so-hard-it-s-a-struggle-to-get-people-to-care-it-s-hard-to/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [Anytime you struggle, people are always going to say something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kemp/anytime-you-struggle-people-are-always-going-to-say-something/) [Shawn Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kemp/) ## More by Frances Fox Piven > [The only way to change American society, and indeed I think this is true of other societies as well, is for people to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/the-only-way-to-change-american-society-and-indeed-i-think-this-is/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [I think that the question of how power can be exerted from the lower reaches has never been more important. It will ultimately determine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-think-that-the-question-of-how-power-can-be-exerted-from-the-lower/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [I remember my father explaining, "A capitalist system is a dog-eat-dog system."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-remember-my-father-explaining-a-capitalist-system-is-a-dog-eat-dog/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [I propose that there is another kind of power based not on resources, things, or attributes, but rooted in the social and cooperative relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-propose-that-there-is-another-kind-of-power-based-not-on-resources/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [There's nothing wrong with changing your mind if you think something's right at a certain moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-changing-your-mind-if-you-think-something/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [I believe that the only way to change American society, and indeed I think this is true of other societies as well, is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-believe-that-the-only-way-to-change-american-society-and-indeed-i/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [Indeed, in US politics, 'poverty', along with 'welfare', 'unwed mothers' and 'crime', became code words for blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/indeed-in-us-politics-poverty-along-with-welfare-unwed-mothers-and/) [Frances Fox Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/) > [I had no intention of becoming an academic. 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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/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the bottom of any society.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frances Fox Piven" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle-by-people-at-the-bottom-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle-by-people-at-the-bottom-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/frances-fox-piven-41878_believe_i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle_1970796.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I believe in the necessity for struggle by people at the bottom of any society.” — Frances Fox Piven", "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": "Frances Fox Piven", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-fox-piven/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I believe in the necessity for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle-by-people-at-the-bottom-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-fox-piven/i-believe-in-the-necessity-for-struggle-by-people-at-the-bottom-of/#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 } } ] } ```