---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are precarious. Which is to say some…"
description: "\"“We are precarious. Which is to say some good things (accumulation of diverse knowledges, skills and abilities through work and life experiences in per..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg"
---

#  We are precarious. Which is to say some good things…

![“We are precarious. Which is to say some good things (accumulation of diverse knowledges, skills and abilities through work and life experiences in permanent construction), and a lot of bad ones (vulnerability, insecurity, poverty, social exposure).” quote by Lisa Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg)

> ““We are precarious. Which is to say some good things (accumulation of diverse knowledges, skills and abilities through work and life experiences in permanent construction), and a lot of bad ones (vulnerability, insecurity, poverty, social exposure).””

Lisa Adkins

## About This Quote

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

Life is a mix of valuable skills and vulnerabilities; both shape our precarious existence.

**In simple terms:** Life offers gains and risks.

Key Takeaway

Balance skill building with vulnerability awareness.

Themes

precarity skill acquisition vulnerability economic instability personal growth

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

Capitalism:1 Decadence:0 Economy:0 Feminism:1 Good thing:0 Good things:0 Insecurity:1 Labour:0 Life:1 Life experiences:1 Precarious:1 Work and life:0 Workers:0 Precarious Say:0 Insecurity Poverty:0 Vulnerability Insecurity:0

When to use this quote

- career planning
- financial counseling
- mental health support
- community building

Key Concepts

capitalist critique feminist perspective social inequality

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you manage personal vulnerabilities?
- What skills can reduce your precariousness?

A Different Perspective

Focusing only on skills may ignore systemic precarity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-experiences/) [Work and life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-and-life/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/)

## Related quotes

> [Bankruptcy exposes the economic vulnerability and insecurity of middle class women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/bankruptcy-exposes-the-economic-vulnerability-and-insecurity-of/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [Our responsibility is to rally and lead the whole party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in continuing to liberate our way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/our-responsibility-is-to-rally-and-lead-the-whole-party-and-the/)

[Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/)

> [I try to go to my parents' house as much as I can. No matter how busy we are as a family, we always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahj-mowry/i-try-to-go-to-my-parents-house-as-much-as-i-can-no-matter-how-busy/)

[Tahj Mowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahj-mowry/)

> [When I feel like work and life are both going well, I feel like I can be fully present at both. I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-lake/when-i-feel-like-work-and-life-are-both-going-well-i-feel-like-i-can/)

[Katrina Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-lake/)

> [When you talk about your troubles, your ailments, your diseases, your hurts, you give longer life to what makes you unhappy. Talking about your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-dreier/when-you-talk-about-your-troubles-your-ailments-your-diseases-your/)

[Thomas Dreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-dreier/)

> [We all fall into biological and mental habits. It's an easy way for us to navigate day-to-day work and life, but it also doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genesis-p-orridge/we-all-fall-into-biological-and-mental-habits-it-s-an-easy-way-for-us/)

[Genesis P-Orridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genesis-p-orridge/)

> [Dad was always working in the living room. There was no distinction between work and life - it was the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-branson/dad-was-always-working-in-the-living-room-there-was-no-distinction/)

[Holly Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-branson/)

> [People often get very entangled in their work and life, so de-stressing is very important to keep generating fresh ideas and provide satisfaction with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunidhi-chauhan/people-often-get-very-entangled-in-their-work-and-life-so-de/)

[Sunidhi Chauhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunidhi-chauhan/)

> [A person has got to balance work and life and family in order to be a balanced person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/a-person-has-got-to-balance-work-and-life-and-family-in-order-to-be-a/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [“The truth is, balance is bunk. It is an unattainable pipe dream... . The quest for balance between work and life, as we’ve come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-keller/the-truth-is-balance-is-bunk-it-is-an-unattainable-pipe-dream-the/)

[Gary Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-keller/)

> [“For example, every year, I rent Intuit’s TurboTax so I can do my income taxes. I pay for something I only need for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-haaff/for-example-every-year-i-rent-intuit-s-turbotax-so-i-can-do-my-income/)

[Brian de Haaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-haaff/)

> [The more you know about Bob Dylan, the less you know. A truly enigmatic artist, Mr. Dylan's work and life offer vaporous handholds, explanations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/the-more-you-know-about-bob-dylan-the-less-you-know-a-truly-enigmatic/)

[David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/)

> [ “There is no division, in practice, between work and life. \[An intellectual craft\] is a practice that involves the whole person, continually drawing on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ingold/there-is-no-division-in-practice-between-work-and-life-an/)

[Tim Ingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ingold/)

> [I'd like to keep work work and life life. It means you've got your life to come back to, somewhere to come home to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-d-like-to-keep-work-work-and-life-life-it-means-you-ve-got-your/)

[James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/)

> [Changing professional expectations and technological tools have created an impossibility of balancing work and life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/changing-professional-expectations-and-technological-tools-have/)

[Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/)

## More Capitalism quotes

> [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/)

[Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/)

> [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/)

F. A. Harper

> [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/capitalism-communism-it-s-all-garbage/)

[Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/)

> [There are no two countries with the same style of economic mechanism, with the same capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/there-are-no-two-countries-with-the-same-style-of-economic-mechanism/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/)

[Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/)

> [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/)

[Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/)

> [“Scholars have long debated whether capital markets lead to appropriate levels of saving and investment for future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-weimer/scholars-have-long-debated-whether-capital-markets-lead-to/)

David L. Weimer

> [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 3,832 Capitalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We are precarious. Which is to say some good things (accumulation of diverse knowledges, skills and abilities through work and life experiences in permanent construction), and a lot of bad ones (vulnerability, insecurity, poverty, social exposure).”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Adkins"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-adkins/we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-good-things-accumulation-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Capitalism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-adkins/we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-good-things-accumulation-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e41/lisa-adkins-257034_capitalism_we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-g_2733362.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We are precarious. Which is to say some good things (accumulation of diverse knowledges, skills and…” — Lisa Adkins",
                "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": "Lisa Adkins",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-adkins/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We are precarious. Which is to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-adkins/we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-good-things-accumulation-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-adkins/we-are-precarious-which-is-to-say-some-good-things-accumulation-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
