--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Exploitation thrives when it comes to the…" description: "\"“Exploitation thrives when it comes to the essentials, like housing and food. Most of the 12 million Americans who take out high-interest payday loans ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/matthew-desmond-1529_quote_exploitation-thrives-when-it-comes-to-th_1578812.jpg" --- # Exploitation thrives when it comes to the essentials, like… ![“Exploitation thrives when it comes to the essentials, like housing and food. Most of the 12 million Americans who take out high-interest payday loans do so not to buy luxury items or cover unexpected expenses but to pay the rent or gas bill, buy food, or meet other regular expenses. Payday loans…” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/matthew-desmond-1529_quote_exploitation-thrives-when-it-comes-to-th_1578812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/matthew-desmond-1529_quote_exploitation-thrives-when-it-comes-to-th_1578812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/matthew-desmond-1529_quote_exploitation-thrives-when-it-comes-to-th_1578812.jpg) > ““Exploitation thrives when it comes to the essentials, like housing and food. Most of the 12 million Americans who take out high-interest payday loans do so not to buy luxury items or cover unexpected expenses but to pay the rent or gas bill, buy food, or meet other regular expenses. Payday loans are but one of many financial techniques—from overdraft fees to student loans for for-profit colleges—specifically designed to pull money from the pockets of the poor.46 If the poor pay more for their housing, food, durable goods, and credit, and if they get smaller returns on their educations and mortgages (if they get returns at all), then their incomes are even smaller than they appear. This is fundamentally unfair. Those”” [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights how essential expenses force low‑income people into predatory financial products, creating a cycle of unfairness and deepening poverty. **In simple terms:** Predatory loans exploit the poor’s basic needs. Key Takeaway Address systemic financial exploitation. Themes inequality economics justice Mood concerned urgent Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - policy reform - consumer protection - financial education - housing assistance Key Concepts predatory lending systemic bias Questions to Reflect On - How can policies protect vulnerable borrowers? - What alternatives exist to predatory loans? A Different Perspective Solutions often require political will and enforcement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exploitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) [Payday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/payday/) ## Related quotes > [Payday loans are but one of many financial techniques - from overdraft fees to student loans subsidizing for-profit colleges - specifically designed to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/payday-loans-are-but-one-of-many-financial-techniques-from-overdraft/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Payday loans 100 days are the short term cash aid that can be easily acquired by all types of the borrowers in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristjan-ambardar/payday-loans-100-days-are-the-short-term-cash-aid-that-can-be-easily/) Kristjan Ambardar > [“Payday loans: “If you were the sort of person who was ever going to understand compound interest, you wouldn’t be in this mess. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/payday-loans-if-you-were-the-sort-of-person-who-was-ever-going-to/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Bad credit payday loans are loan service that is specially planned to assist those borrowers who are facing numerous financial difficulties because of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-dowding/bad-credit-payday-loans-are-loan-service-that-is-specially-planned-to/) Steven Dowding > [“Trouble free payday loans. A payday loan is your remedy to an immediate have to have for money. A payday loans seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stain-peter/trouble-free-payday-loans-a-payday-loan-is-your-remedy-to-an/) Stain Peter > [“Long term payday loans are loan service that offers quick and hassle free cash help to the borrowers along with the long period of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dew/long-term-payday-loans-are-loan-service-that-offers-quick-and-hassle/) Henry Dew > [“Low interest payday cash loans. A payday loan might be your immediate resolution to a economic dilemma. A payday loans seems to become really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/low-interest-payday-cash-loans-a-payday-loan-might-be-your-immediate/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [While payday loans are often the only source of credit for low-income Americans, these lenders are notorious for predatory practices that cause borrowers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-moulton/while-payday-loans-are-often-the-only-source-of-credit-for-low-income/) [Seth Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-moulton/) > [Exploitation. Now, there's a word that has been scrubbed out of the poverty debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/exploitation-now-there-s-a-word-that-has-been-scrubbed-out-of-the/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Say she want my candybar I told her to come get this payday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2-chainz/say-she-want-my-candybar-i-told-her-to-come-get-this-payday/) [2 Chainz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2-chainz/) > [“A lot of us are living like this, right? Taking cabs and ordering takeout Thai on payday, then walking the three blocks to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-irby/a-lot-of-us-are-living-like-this-right-taking-cabs-and-ordering/) [Samantha Irby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-irby/) > [This is just another man, another fight, another payday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/this-is-just-another-man-another-fight-another-payday/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [Marines have a cynical approach to war. They believe in three things; liberty, payday and that when two Marines are together in a fight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-pyle/marines-have-a-cynical-approach-to-war-they-believe-in-three-things/) [Ernie Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-pyle/) > [Kostya Tszyu was the best payday of my career to that point, even though I thought it should have been better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/kostya-tszyu-was-the-best-payday-of-my-career-to-that-point-even/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) ## More by Matthew Desmond > [I don't think we can fix poverty without fixing housing, and I don't think we can address housing without understanding landlords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-don-t-think-we-can-fix-poverty-without-fixing-housing-and-i-don-t/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [If we continue to tolerate this level of poverty in our cities, and go along with eviction as commonplace in poor neighborhoods, it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/if-we-continue-to-tolerate-this-level-of-poverty-in-our-cities-and-go/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [You see one eviction, and you're overcome, but then there's another one and another one and another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/you-see-one-eviction-and-you-re-overcome-but-then-there-s-another-one/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [When I talk to booksellers, they tell me how hard it is to hand-sell some of my books because I do keep popping around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-talk-to-booksellers-they-tell-me-how-hard-it-is-to-hand-sell/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Housing being a top-order issue for cities is something that's not trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/housing-being-a-top-order-issue-for-cities-is-something-that-s-not/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I think that we value fairness in this country. We value equal opportunity. Without a stable home, those ideals really fall apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-think-that-we-value-fairness-in-this-country-we-value-equal/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Exploitation. Now, there's a word that has been scrubbed out of the poverty debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/exploitation-now-there-s-a-word-that-has-been-scrubbed-out-of-the/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I think there are ways that graduate students can fact-check their work. I think there are ways that we can do this that don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-think-there-are-ways-that-graduate-students-can-fact-check-their/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Fire itself is very beautiful, and there's an attachment to fire that firefighters have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/fire-itself-is-very-beautiful-and-there-s-an-attachment-to-fire-that/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Sherrena nodded reassuringly and said, almost to herself, “I guess I got to stop feeling sorry for these people because nobody is feeling sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/sherrena-nodded-reassuringly-and-said-almost-to-herself-i-guess-i-got/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Everywhere else, we are someone else, but at home, we remove our masks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/everywhere-else-we-are-someone-else-but-at-home-we-remove-our-masks/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A community that sees so clearly its own disadvantage or its own hardships also has a harder time seeing its potential: its ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-community-that-sees-so-clearly-its-own-disadvantage-or-its-own/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“It was once said that the poor are 'constantly exposed to evidence of their own irrelevance.' Especially for poor African-American families - who live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/it-was-once-said-that-the-poor-are-constantly-exposed-to-evidence-of/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A universal voucher program would change the face of poverty in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-universal-voucher-program-would-change-the-face-of-poverty-in-this/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Wildland firefighters do not enjoy the cultural prestige that structural firefighters do. They do not wax their fire engines and cruise down the local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/wildland-firefighters-do-not-enjoy-the-cultural-prestige-that/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) [Explore all 230 Matthew Desmond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) ## More Exploitation quotes > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. When somebody actually picked up a copy, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-seeing-the-national-inquirer-at-the/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [When the idea came up, (Newman's Own) I said, "Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?" And then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-the-idea-came-up-newman-s-own-i-said-are-you-crazy-stick-my-face/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/communism-is-inequality-but-not-as-property-is-property-is/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Marx saw exploitation in terms of the rewards of human labor, but we can see it in terms of all the values of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/marx-saw-exploitation-in-terms-of-the-rewards-of-human-labor-but-we/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) > [The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind's most basic duty to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-walsh/the-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-of-children-is-one-of-the-most/) [James T. Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-walsh/) > [Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom and triviality; they cripple man, and all factors that make man into a psychic cripple turn him also into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/exploitation-and-manipulation-produce-boredom-and-triviality-they/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [For my whole life I have dedicated myself to those who have been subjected to injustice. I've conducted investigations and written in newspapers about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/for-my-whole-life-i-have-dedicated-myself-to-those-who-have-been/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [If we human beings learn to see the intricacies that bind one part of a natural system to another and then to us, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-nelson/if-we-human-beings-learn-to-see-the-intricacies-that-bind-one-part-of/) [Gaylord Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-nelson/) > [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [“Often, her mate is the child of a narcissist, already indoctrinated to regard exploitation and disregard as love. Others lured by the narcissistic aura…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-golomb/often-her-mate-is-the-child-of-a-narcissist-already-indoctrinated-to/) Elan Golomb > [“A flat tire is like a bad attitude, you won't go anywhere until you change it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-brown/a-flat-tire-is-like-a-bad-attitude-you-won-t-go-anywhere-until-you/) Winston Brown > [Extension work is not exhortation. Nor is it exploitation of the people, or advertising of an institution, or publicity work for securing students. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-hyde-bailey/extension-work-is-not-exhortation-nor-is-it-exploitation-of-the/) [Liberty Hyde Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-hyde-bailey/) [Browse all 648 Exploitation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Exploitation thrives when it comes to the essentials, like housing and food. 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