---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Abject poverty is demeaning, is an…"
description: "\"Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us all. It makes the freedom of all of us less..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg"
---

#  Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity…

![“Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us all. It makes the freedom of all of us less meaningful.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg)

> “Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us all. It makes the freedom of all of us less meaningful.”

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

## About This Quote

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

Poverty degrades dignity and harms everyone’s freedom, not just the poor.

**In simple terms:** Poverty hurts all of us.

Key Takeaway

Combat poverty to protect collective dignity.

Themes

poverty dignity freedom

Mood

somber determined

Type

political motivational

When to use this quote

- policy making
- community outreach
- education
- healthcare

Key Concepts

human rights social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What policies best restore dignity?
- How can individuals help each other?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual agency and resilience in poverty contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/)

## Related quotes

> [We need a fundamental change of mindset with regards to the way we speak and behave about sex and sexuality. Boys and men have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-a-fundamental-change-of-mindset-with-regards-to-the-way-we/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“But if out of every dollar given to aid, ten cents makes it to the poorest people in the world, that is ten cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daron-acemo-lu/but-if-out-of-every-dollar-given-to-aid-ten-cents-makes-it-to-the/)

[Daron Acemoğlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daron-acemo-lu/)

> [Growing up in Kenya, slum life was not far away. I had family that lived in slums, so I visited them often, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/growing-up-in-kenya-slum-life-was-not-far-away-i-had-family-that/)

[Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/)

> [The world at large is less inequitable today than at any time in history. Number of people in abject poverty, as a percentage, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-world-at-large-is-less-inequitable-today-than-at-any-time-in/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [If I cannot address the issue of visible homelessness and abject poverty on the streets of this community, I will not get re-elected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/if-i-cannot-address-the-issue-of-visible-homelessness-and-abject/)

[Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/)

> [My children didn't have my advantages; I was born into abject poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/my-children-didn-t-have-my-advantages-i-was-born-into-abject-poverty/)

[Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/)

> [Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/poverty-is-the-absence-of-all-human-rights-the-frustrations-hostility-2/)

[Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/)

> [The reason that the World Trade Center got hit is because there are a lot of people living in abject poverty out there who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/the-reason-that-the-world-trade-center-got-hit-is-because-there-are-a/)

[Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/)

> [Imagine living in abject poverty and not knowing anything other than that for generations. Or alternatively, imagine being born into a really wealthy family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/imagine-living-in-abject-poverty-and-not-knowing-anything-other-than/)

[Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/)

> [“Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/poverty-is-the-absence-of-all-human-rights-the-frustrations-hostility/)

[Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/)

> [The Democrat Party makes as many people victims as possible because it freezes them right where they are. And that's usually in lower middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrat-party-makes-as-many-people-victims-as-possible-because/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [When you see in places like Africa and parts of Asia abject poverty, hungry children and malnutrition around you, and you look at yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/when-you-see-in-places-like-africa-and-parts-of-asia-abject-poverty/)

[Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/)

> [Stay away from lazy parasites, who perch on you just to satisfy their needs, they do not come to alleviate your burdens, hence, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stay-away-from-lazy-parasites-who-perch-on-you-just-to-satisfy-their/)

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

> [I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-came-from-abject-poverty-there-was-nowhere-to-go-but-up/)

[Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/)

> [With an agenda dominated by global security and U.N. reform, it appears that the decisions needed to lift millions of people from abject poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/with-an-agenda-dominated-by-global-security-and-u-n-reform-it-appears/)

[Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/)

## More by Nelson Mandela

> [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [What he means by this is that instead of saying you'll "try", you need to "do". And as we let our light shine, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-to-exert-ourselves-that-much-more-and-break-out-of-the/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/prison-is-a-still-point-in-a-turning-world-and-it-is-very-easy-to/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-fundamental-concern-for-others-in-our-individual-and-community/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I am aware of what the position is in the United States of America. If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

[Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

## More Assault quotes

> [In an attempt to hinder, if not altogether halt, the next move of God, Satan has sent forth an army of faultfinding demons against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-frangipane/in-an-attempt-to-hinder-if-not-altogether-halt-the-next-move-of-god/)

[Francis Frangipane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-frangipane/)

> [There is an all-out assault now on the Christian community in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-an-all-out-assault-now-on-the-christian-community-in-this/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I don't know how I can feel safe with Donald Trump, who bragged about sexual assault having the most power of anyone in America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pozner/i-don-t-know-how-i-can-feel-safe-with-donald-trump-who-bragged-about/)

[Jennifer Pozner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pozner/)

> [At Ohio State University, to avoid being guilty of 'sexual assault' or 'sexual violence,' you and your partner now apparently have to agree on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/at-ohio-state-university-to-avoid-being-guilty-of-sexual-assault-or/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/their-problem-is-not-me-and-the-democrats-their-problem-is-themselves/)

[Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/)

> [I wrapped a movie called 'Zombieland,' in which I was constantly under assault by zombies, then flew to New York, still very much in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/i-wrapped-a-movie-called-zombieland-in-which-i-was-constantly-under/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

> [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-hits-a-child-we-call-it-aggression-when-a-child-hits-an/)

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

> [I'm the same guy at that podium preaching to the people on every single song. I'm not doing a dance for you on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/i-m-the-same-guy-at-that-podium-preaching-to-the-people-on-every/)

[Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/)

> [That tertiary education is under a sustained assault by a political and - it often seems - social consensus that equates all education with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/that-tertiary-education-is-under-a-sustained-assault-by-a-political/)

[Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/)

> [The biggest threat to any politician is an artist. Comedians unleashed can do a great deal of damage. David Letterman can do more damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/the-biggest-threat-to-any-politician-is-an-artist-comedians-unleashed/)

[Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/)

> [George W. Bush and his administration embarked on a full-scale assault on civil liberties, human rights and the rule of law, walking away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/george-w-bush-and-his-administration-embarked-on-a-full-scale-assault/)

[Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/)

> [Sexual assault and domestic violence are difficult things to talk about. Talk about them anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/sexual-assault-and-domestic-violence-are-difficult-things-to-talk/)

[Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/)

> [One's own self-worth is tied to the worth of the community to which one belongs, which is intimately connected to humanity in general. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/one-s-own-self-worth-is-tied-to-the-worth-of-the-community-to-which/)

[Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/)

> [Where do find the most persecuted Christians in the world?... in the classrooms of our government schools, where the assault is not upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/where-do-find-the-most-persecuted-christians-in-the-world-in-the/)

[Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/)

> [The present assault upon capital is but the beginning. It will be but a stepping-stone to others, larger and more sweeping, till our political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-present-assault-upon-capital-is-but-the-beginning-it-will-be-but/)

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

[Browse all 565 Assault quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us all. It makes the freedom of all of us less meaningful.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nelson Mandela"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assault-on-the-dignity-of-those/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assault"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assault-on-the-dignity-of-those/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/nelson-mandela-248_assault_abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assaul_2373826.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us…” — Nelson Mandela",
                "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": "Nelson Mandela",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Abject poverty is demeaning, is an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assault-on-the-dignity-of-those/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/abject-poverty-is-demeaning-is-an-assault-on-the-dignity-of-those/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
