--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I want to understand a problem, I…" description: "\"When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand it from the ground level.\" — Matthew Desmond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg" --- # When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand… ![“When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand it from the ground level.” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg) > “When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand it from the ground level.” [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. Understanding a problem from its most basic components reveals hidden causes and solutions. **In simple terms:** Start from the basics to grasp a problem. Key Takeaway Break down issues to fundamentals. Themes analysis problem solving foundations Mood curious analytical Type explanatory instructive When to use this quote - research - engineering - policy design - education - diagnostics Key Concepts systems thinking root cause analysis Questions to Reflect On - What basic element are you overlooking? - How does grounding change your perspective? A Different Perspective Complex problems may have hidden layers that still require higher‑level synthesis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Everything is relative. If you want to understand a problem you look at its cause. You don’t look at its manifestation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randa-abdel-fattah/everything-is-relative-if-you-want-to-understand-a-problem-you-look/) [Randa Abdel-Fattah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randa-abdel-fattah/) > [“At ground level Alexanderplatz is a monstrous expanse of grey concrete designed to make people feel small. It works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-funder/at-ground-level-alexanderplatz-is-a-monstrous-expanse-of-grey/) [Anna Funder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-funder/) > [It is more important to understand the ground of your own behavior than to understand the motives of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/it-is-more-important-to-understand-the-ground-of-your-own-behavior/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [The question "What shall we do about it?" is only asked by those who do not understand the problem. If a problem can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-question-what-shall-we-do-about-it-is-only-asked-by-those-who-do/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [“The problem is you don't understand what the problem is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kinsella/the-problem-is-you-don-t-understand-what-the-problem-is/) [Tim Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kinsella/) > [“If you have a problem and to solve it you need someone else to change, you don’t understand your problem yet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyssa-adkins/if-you-have-a-problem-and-to-solve-it-you-need-someone-else-to-change/) [Lyssa Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyssa-adkins/) > [“Don't start working on the solution until you understand the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-mcallister/don-t-start-working-on-the-solution-until-you-understand-the-problem/) Alex McAllister > [Help! The customer service representative doesn't understand my problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/help-the-customer-service-representative-doesn-t-understand-my-problem/) [Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/) > [Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/understand-that-a-problem-is-only-a-problem-if-you-choose-to-view-it/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/if-we-can-really-understand-the-problem-the-answer-will-come-out-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/confidence-is-what-you-have-before-you-understand-the-problem/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [The best way to understand any system is to understand the problem it was invented to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dilascia/the-best-way-to-understand-any-system-is-to-understand-the-problem-it/) Paul Dilascia > [The problem is we don't understand the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-problem-is-we-don-t-understand-the-problem/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [Where should I start? Start from the statement of the problem. ... What can I do? Visualize the problem as a whole as clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/where-should-i-start-start-from-the-statement-of-the-problem-what-can/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [“Intelligence is the ability to understand the problem and find a solution to that problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/awdhesh-singh/intelligence-is-the-ability-to-understand-the-problem-and-find-a/) [Awdhesh Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/awdhesh-singh/) ## 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 Ground quotes > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [“nor ground control was something of a step back for them. Furthermore, having reached France,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-holland/nor-ground-control-was-something-of-a-step-back-for-them-furthermore/) [James Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-holland/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [Griezmann is an exceptional player. He's brimming with talent, and he knows how to keep his feet on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-matuidi/griezmann-is-an-exceptional-player-he-s-brimming-with-talent-and-he/) [Blaise Matuidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-matuidi/) > [I have tried to treat people on the other side civilly and look for common ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/i-have-tried-to-treat-people-on-the-other-side-civilly-and-look-for/) [Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/) > [When you cook a sausage, the skin sometimes breaks and the ground meat comes apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-cook-a-sausage-the-skin-sometimes-breaks-and-the-ground-meat/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I look for in a script is something that challenges me, something that breaks new ground, something that allows me to flex my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bay/what-i-look-for-in-a-script-is-something-that-challenges-me-something/) [Michael Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bay/) > [In Bellator, one guy that I would love to fight is Kimbo. And I'm not going to the ground. I want to fight in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanderlei-silva/in-bellator-one-guy-that-i-would-love-to-fight-is-kimbo-and-i-m-not/) [Wanderlei Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanderlei-silva/) > [“Any day above ground is a good day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gerus/any-day-above-ground-is-a-good-day/) Robert Gerus > [Ground and pound is my thing, everyone knows that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-volkanovski/ground-and-pound-is-my-thing-everyone-knows-that/) [Alexander Volkanovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-volkanovski/) > [I'm a legend now. But I'll keep my feet on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-oliveira/i-m-a-legend-now-but-i-ll-keep-my-feet-on-the-ground/) [Charles Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-oliveira/) > [You can have information and ease of use and have artistic integrity at the same time. The art of being a good Web designer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-davidson/you-can-have-information-and-ease-of-use-and-have-artistic-integrity/) [Mike Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-davidson/) > [I had opposed the Jet-Etihad FDI arrangement on the ground of the disproportionate share of airspace given to Etihad, which is against the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanian-swamy/i-had-opposed-the-jet-etihad-fdi-arrangement-on-the-ground-of-the/) [Subramanian Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subramanian-swamy/) > [But when we're helping children understand how people from different walks of life can coexist, prioritizing common ground too often obscures or erases uncommon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/but-when-we-re-helping-children-understand-how-people-from-different/) [Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/) > [With post offices and postal workers already on the ground, USPS could partner with banks to make a critical difference for millions of Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/with-post-offices-and-postal-workers-already-on-the-ground-usps-could/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) Browse all 1,200 Ground quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand it from the ground level.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Desmond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-want-to-understand-it-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ground" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-want-to-understand-it-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/337/matthew-desmond-1529_ground_when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-wa_1266960.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I want to understand a problem, I want to understand it from the ground level.” — Matthew Desmond", "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": "Matthew Desmond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I want to understand a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-want-to-understand-it-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-want-to-understand-a-problem-i-want-to-understand-it-from-the/#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 } } ] } ```