--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were poor, but we didn't know it…" description: "\"We were poor, but we didn't know it. There were no government bureaus in those days presuming to determine where poorness begins and ends, but I don't ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/paul-harvey-9484_days_we-were-poor-but-we-didn-t-know-it-there_2192494.jpg" --- # We were poor, but we didn't know it. There were no… ![“We were poor, but we didn't know it. There were no government bureaus in those days presuming to determine where poorness begins and ends, but I don't remember ever being hungry.” quote by Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/paul-harvey-9484_days_we-were-poor-but-we-didn-t-know-it-there_2192494.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/paul-harvey-9484_days_we-were-poor-but-we-didn-t-know-it-there_2192494.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/paul-harvey-9484_days_we-were-poor-but-we-didn-t-know-it-there_2192494.jpg) > “We were poor, but we didn't know it. There were no government bureaus in those days presuming to determine where poorness begins and ends, but I don't remember ever being hungry.” [Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on childhood poverty that felt invisible without official labels, emphasizing that lack of hunger meant a different sense of need. **In simple terms:** He was poor but didn’t feel it because he wasn’t hungry. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden hardships beyond official metrics. Themes poverty invisibility government childhood perception Mood reflective nostalgic Type observational social commentary When to use this quote - rural upbringing - family budgeting - community support - historical context Key Concepts social class subjective wellbeing economic measurement Questions to Reflect On - How do we identify poverty that isn’t measured? - What other needs are overlooked by policy? A Different Perspective Official statistics may miss personal experiences of scarcity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [You want more money, people are in poverty. …---](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalwar/you-want-more-money-people-are-in-poverty/) Dalwar > [The wealthy don't cry over the fact that they are wealthy as long as the poor cry about the poverty that surrounds them; just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morph-vishn/the-wealthy-don-t-cry-over-the-fact-that-they-are-wealthy-as-long-as/) Morph Vishn > [“I'm surprised he doesn't reach for a wet nap to rid his hands of my general poorness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-scott/i-m-surprised-he-doesn-t-reach-for-a-wet-nap-to-rid-his-hands-of-my/) [Victoria Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-scott/) > [I think British people for example can handle better their own poorness. 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There's no recovery time. 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Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [I've always been a fan of old-time hymns and Scots-Irish dirges, though I wouldn't necessarily consider myself an expert on the type of music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-old-time-hymns-and-scots-irish-dirges/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [Everything is barely weeks. Everything is days. 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