--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only people who steal are thieves…" description: "\"The only people who steal are thieves, and that's a very small percentage of civilization. Most people want to have some way to make the economic trans..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/michael-nesmith-16041_benefits_the-only-people-who-steal-are-thieves-an_767432.jpg" --- # The only people who steal are thieves, and that's a very… ![“The only people who steal are thieves, and that's a very small percentage of civilization. Most people want to have some way to make the economic transaction valid. They want to return the favor, if you will... return the benefit and reciprocate.” quote by Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/michael-nesmith-16041_benefits_the-only-people-who-steal-are-thieves-an_767432.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/michael-nesmith-16041_benefits_the-only-people-who-steal-are-thieves-an_767432.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/michael-nesmith-16041_benefits_the-only-people-who-steal-are-thieves-an_767432.jpg) > “The only people who steal are thieves, and that's a very small percentage of civilization. Most people want to have some way to make the economic transaction valid. They want to return the favor, if you will... return the benefit and reciprocate.” [Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nesmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that theft is rare; most people seek fair exchange and mutual benefit in transactions. **In simple terms:** Most people want fair trade, not stealing. Key Takeaway Promote reciprocity and honest trade. Themes ethics economics trust Mood reflective analytical Type statement opinion When to use this quote - business negotiations - community markets - personal budgeting - online marketplaces Key Concepts reciprocity social contract fairness Questions to Reflect On - How do you encourage fair exchange in a digital economy? - What incentives reduce temptation to steal? A Different Perspective Assumes all societies value reciprocity equally, which may not hold. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percentages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percentages/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) ## Related quotes > [“If you steal from the thieves, can they call the cops! If you heist from the blackmarket, is it really a crime! If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-you-steal-from-the-thieves-can-they-call-the-cops-if-you-heist/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The number one rule of thieves is that nothing is too small to steal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-breslin/the-number-one-rule-of-thieves-is-that-nothing-is-too-small-to-steal/) [Jimmy Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-breslin/) > [Index funds have regularly produced rates of return exceeding those of active managers by close to 2 percentage points. Active management as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-malkiel/index-funds-have-regularly-produced-rates-of-return-exceeding-those/) [Burton Malkiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-malkiel/) > [We are seeing pioneers moving out to the Internet, banks that are taking transactions, retail shopping on the Internet, and although it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-are-seeing-pioneers-moving-out-to-the-internet-banks-that-are/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [There's worse that people can steal from you than money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/there-s-worse-that-people-can-steal-from-you-than-money/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [If you are doing well there are some people who will do anything to steal your shine. Don't give them the reaction they're looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-doing-well-there-are-some-people-who-will-do-anything-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People will steal it if you don't make it easy to buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-ergen/people-will-steal-it-if-you-don-t-make-it-easy-to-buy-it/) [Charlie Ergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-ergen/) > [“There are people who steal your energy or disrupt your energy field.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/there-are-people-who-steal-your-energy-or-disrupt-your-energy-field/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [When you've got something really good, you don't have to force it on people. They will steal it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/when-you-ve-got-something-really-good-you-don-t-have-to-force-it-on/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [When people steal their facebook statuses of these websites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-steal-their-facebook-statuses-of-these-websites/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People steal into one's consciousness and occupy what seems, in retrospect, to have been their place all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/people-steal-into-one-s-consciousness-and-occupy-what-seems-in/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't let those people steal your day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/don-t-let-those-people-steal-your-day/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Dont let people steal your dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-ruettiger/dont-let-people-steal-your-dreams/) [Rudy Ruettiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-ruettiger/) > [“Greeders who plunder and steal from their people - not only steal their supporters and their childrens' future, but they also smash their mindsets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dovale/greeders-who-plunder-and-steal-from-their-people-not-only-steal-their/) [Tony Dovale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dovale/) > [I try to live in a little bit of my own joy and not let people steal it or take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoda-kotb/i-try-to-live-in-a-little-bit-of-my-own-joy-and-not-let-people-steal/) [Hoda Kotb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoda-kotb/) ## More by Michael Nesmith > [Wealth, in terms of dollars and so forth, could be counted up, because dollars were finite. It doesn't make any difference how many dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nesmith/wealth-in-terms-of-dollars-and-so-forth-could-be-counted-up-because/) [Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nesmith/) > [People recognize intellectual property the same way they recognize real estate. People understand what property is. But it's a new kind of property, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nesmith/people-recognize-intellectual-property-the-same-way-they-recognize/) [Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nesmith/) > [Buzzwords and cliches - those are stock in trade. There's nothing wrong with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nesmith/buzzwords-and-cliches-those-are-stock-in-trade-there-s-nothing-wrong/) [Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nesmith/) > [I haven't been out in the marketplace in a while. I'm thinking about going back into it. 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