Character Quote by Harry Hopkins
“Three or four million heads of households don't turn into tramps and cheats overnight, nor do they lose the habits and standards of a lifetime... They don't drink any more than the rest of us, they don't lie any more, they're no lazier than the rest of us… An eighth or a tenth of the earning population does not change its character which has been generations in the molding, or, if such a change actually occurs, we can scarcely charge it up to personal sin.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Social Welfare, United States, 1945
Large groups retain long‑standing habits and moral standards despite economic hardship, and personal failings are rarely the sole cause of widespread change.
In simple terms: People keep their character even in tough times.
Key Takeaway
Recognize systemic factors over individual blame.
Themes
social behavior
economics
morality
generational influence
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
observational
sociological
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community support
- economic crises
- public health
- education reform
Key Concepts
social determinism
structural inequality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do economic pressures shape community values?
- What policies can protect moral standards during hardship?
A Different Perspective
Changes may be slow and require collective effort, not just individual reform.
![“Communities now find themselves in possession of improvements [resulting from the WPA] which even in 1929 they would have thought themselves presumptuous to dream of... [but] everywhere there had been an overhauling of the word presumptuous. We are beginning to wonder if it is not presumptuous to…” quote by Harry Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d6/harry-hopkins-43475_children_communities-now-find-themselves-in-posse_1118497.jpg)
