--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are many well-meaning people today…" description: "\"There are many well-meaning people today who work at placing an economic floor beneath all of us so that no one shall exist below a certain level or st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ronald-reagan-119_building_there-are-many-well-meaning-people-today_2231471.jpg" --- # There are many well-meaning people today who work at… ![“There are many well-meaning people today who work at placing an economic floor beneath all of us so that no one shall exist below a certain level or standard of living, and certainly we don't quarrel with this. But look more closely and you may find that all too often these well-meaning people are…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ronald-reagan-119_building_there-are-many-well-meaning-people-today_2231471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ronald-reagan-119_building_there-are-many-well-meaning-people-today_2231471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ronald-reagan-119_building_there-are-many-well-meaning-people-today_2231471.jpg) > “There are many well-meaning people today who work at placing an economic floor beneath all of us so that no one shall exist below a certain level or standard of living, and certainly we don't quarrel with this. But look more closely and you may find that all too often these well-meaning people are building a ceiling above which no one shall be permitted to climb and between the two are pressing us all into conformity, into a mold of standardized mediocrity.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that well‑intentioned economic safety nets can become restrictive ceilings that enforce conformity and limit ambition. **In simple terms:** Safety nets may turn into limits on growth. Key Takeaway Beware policies that stifle upward mobility. Themes economics politics freedom conformity social policy Mood critical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public policy debates - social welfare design - education reform - career advancement - entrepreneurship Key Concepts welfare state ceilings mediocrity standardization Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect the vulnerable without limiting ambition? - What safeguards prevent safety nets from becoming ceilings? A Different Perspective May overlook individual initiative and undervalue collective support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building Ceiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-ceiling-5022453/) [Ceiling Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceiling-shall-5022451/) [Ceilings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceilings/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Climbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbs/) [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Economic Floor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-floor-4840484/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Mold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mold/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pressing Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressing-conformity-5022452/) [Quarrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quarrels/) [Standard Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standard-living/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Standards of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards-of-living/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [I do think that people deserve a basic economic floor so the bottom doesn't fall out under them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tubbs/i-do-think-that-people-deserve-a-basic-economic-floor-so-the-bottom/) [Michael Tubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tubbs/) > [We boast the highest standard of living when it's only the biggest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/we-boast-the-highest-standard-of-living-when-it-s-only-the-biggest/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [We want a better America, an America that will give its citizens, first of all, a higher and higher standard of living so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-hillman/we-want-a-better-america-an-america-that-will-give-its-citizens-first/) [Sidney Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-hillman/) > [Capitalism has created the highest standard of living ever known on earth. 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In the rest of western Europe, income has merely doubled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-stoltenberg/we-have-a-high-standard-of-living-in-norway-we-ve-tripled-our-income/) [Jens Stoltenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-stoltenberg/) > [Capitalism gave the world what it needed, a higher standard of living for a steadily increasing number of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/capitalism-gave-the-world-what-it-needed-a-higher-standard-of-living/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/god-prospers-me-not-to-raise-my-standard-of-living-but-to-raise-my/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [Only in more production and in new production can the American standard of living be increased and the economy be sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/only-in-more-production-and-in-new-production-can-the-american/) [Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/) > [It frequently happens that an element of the standard of living which set out with being primarily wasteful, ends with becoming, in the apprehension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorstein-veblen/it-frequently-happens-that-an-element-of-the-standard-of-living-which/) [Thorstein Veblen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorstein-veblen/) > [For the first time in history it is now possible to take care of everybody at a higher standard of living than any have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/for-the-first-time-in-history-it-is-now-possible-to-take-care-of/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [A standard of living is of the nature of habit. ...it acts almost solely to prevent recession from a scale of conspicuous expenditure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorstein-veblen/a-standard-of-living-is-of-the-nature-of-habit-it-acts-almost-solely/) [Thorstein Veblen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorstein-veblen/) > [Are we Darwinists - where we live and let live? Or are we nurturing as a society? There has to be a standard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/are-we-darwinists-where-we-live-and-let-live-or-are-we-nurturing-as-a/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [Good economic policy requires not so much the bravado to implement drastic change as the strength and wisdom to make reasonable trade-offs over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/good-economic-policy-requires-not-so-much-the-bravado-to-implement/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Take good care of the things you have. Careless people spend more for a given standard of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/take-good-care-of-the-things-you-have-careless-people-spend-more-for/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/) [Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. 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It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) [Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are many well-meaning people today who work at placing an economic floor beneath all of us so that no one shall exist below a certain level or standard of living, and certainly we don't quarrel with this. 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