--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But for a society buit on exploitation…" description: "\"“But for a society buit on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.”\" — N.K. Jemisin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/n-k-jemisin-1466_exploitation_but-for-a-society-buit-on-exploitation-t_1848909.png" --- # But for a society buit on exploitation, there is no… ![“But for a society buit on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.” quote by N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/n-k-jemisin-1466_exploitation_but-for-a-society-buit-on-exploitation-t_1848909.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/n-k-jemisin-1466_exploitation_but-for-a-society-buit-on-exploitation-t_1848909.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f6/n-k-jemisin-1466_exploitation_but-for-a-society-buit-on-exploitation-t_1848909.png) > ““But for a society buit on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.”” [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploitation creates a cycle where the oppressor and oppressed are interdependent, threatening societal stability. **In simple terms:** Exploitation harms everyone. Key Takeaway Address systemic injustice to protect all. Themes social justice power dynamics ethics Mood critical urgent Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - community organizing - education programs Key Concepts oppression systemic exploitation Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from the status quo? - What steps can dismantle exploitation? A Different Perspective Changing deep structures is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exploitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploitation/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [“for a society built on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/for-a-society-built-on-exploitation-there-is-no-greater-threat-than/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“But for a society built on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress. And now, if nothing else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-for-a-society-built-on-exploitation-there-is-no-greater-threat/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/heavy-as-they-are-the-costs-of-action-must-be-weighed-against-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [There is no greater threat to America than Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-g-boykin/there-is-no-greater-threat-to-america-than-islam/) [William G. Boykin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-g-boykin/) > [Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/obscurity-is-a-far-greater-threat-to-authors-and-creative-artists/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [These are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today. But I say this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/these-are-dark-times-there-is-no-denying-our-world-has-perhaps-faced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Silence can pose a greater threat than the difficult truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/silence-can-pose-a-greater-threat-than-the-difficult-truth/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/no-challenge-poses-a-greater-threat-to-future-generations-than/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Climate change poses a far greater threat to the outdoor industry than even the privatization of the public lands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-bleiler/climate-change-poses-a-far-greater-threat-to-the-outdoor-industry/) [Gretchen Bleiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-bleiler/) > [Large-scale hog producers are a greater threat to the United States and U.S. democracy than Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/large-scale-hog-producers-are-a-greater-threat-to-the-united-states/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [The state always poses a greater threat to society than whatever problem it purports to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/llewellyn-rockwell/the-state-always-poses-a-greater-threat-to-society-than-whatever/) [Llewellyn Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/llewellyn-rockwell/) > [Many defense experts have predicted that we face no greater threat from a single country than from Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-defense-experts-have-predicted-that-we-face-no-greater-threat/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“legal violence by our own government poses a greater threat to the future of this country—and certainly to individual black men—than illegal violence by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-butler/legal-violence-by-our-own-government-poses-a-greater-threat-to-the/) Paul Butler > [Paisley has been and remains a greater threat to the Union than the Foreign Office and the Provisional IRA rolled into one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/paisley-has-been-and-remains-a-greater-threat-to-the-union-than-the/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [ The computer is a greater threat to the \[nuclear\] family than all the abortion laws and gay rights movements and pornography in the world. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/the-computer-is-a-greater-threat-to-the-nuclear-family-than-all-the/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) ## More by N.K. Jemisin > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [You are Insignificant. One of millions, neither special nor unique. I did not ask for this ignominy, and I resent the comparison. Fine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/you-are-insignificant-one-of-millions-neither-special-nor-unique-i/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“She feels closer than ever to her father in this moment of utter broken rage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/she-feels-closer-than-ever-to-her-father-in-this-moment-of-utter/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When a comm builds atop a fault line, do you blame its walls when they inevitably crush the people inside? No; you blame whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/when-a-comm-builds-atop-a-fault-line-do-you-blame-its-walls-when-they/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“I don’t know how I feel about a canon anymore ... The sheer volume of books that exist out there means that a canon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/i-don-t-know-how-i-feel-about-a-canon-anymore-the-sheer-volume-of/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ “\[...\] the kind of healer who knows that sometimes one must inflict terrible agony - rebreak a bone, carve off a limb, kill the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/the-kind-of-healer-who-knows-that-sometimes-one-must-inflict-terrible/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [So here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/so-here-is-why-i-write-what-i-do-we-all-have-futures-we-all-have/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“How can we prepare for the future if we won’t acknowledge the past?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/how-can-we-prepare-for-the-future-if-we-won-t-acknowledge-the-past/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“You waver, because you don’t really want to know … but you haven’t been a coward for some years now. So you steel yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/you-waver-because-you-don-t-really-want-to-know-but-you-haven-t-been/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“What can orogeny do against something like that? Keep her breathing, maybe. But breathing doesn't always mean living, and maybe... maybe genocide doesn't always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/what-can-orogeny-do-against-something-like-that-keep-her-breathing/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“What the rust do you matter? Who cares about you? Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? Once, you did have people who cared about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/what-the-rust-do-you-matter-who-cares-about-you-well-that-s-the-thing/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“Let me say only that these vehicles float a few inches off the ground. No animals draw them. No steam or chemical fuels them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/let-me-say-only-that-these-vehicles-float-a-few-inches-off-the-ground/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [We can never be gods, after all--but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/we-can-never-be-gods-after-all-but-we-can-become-something-less-than/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“(This is not a digression.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/this-is-not-a-digression/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“He's not a parasite if she needs him, too, and if she gives what he will not take. (One day soon, she will learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/he-s-not-a-parasite-if-she-needs-him-too-and-if-she-gives-what-he/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) [Explore all 225 N.K. Jemisin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) ## 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": "“But for a society buit on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "N.K. 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