--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It takes much more than you think for to…" description: "\"“It takes much more than you think for to starve a man. Starvation is very little when you are used to it. Some people I know even, who live on it quit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_daily-bread_it-takes-much-more-than-you-think-for-to_730194.jpg" --- # It takes much more than you think for to starve a man… ![“It takes much more than you think for to starve a man. Starvation is very little when you are used to it. Some people I know even, who live on it quite comfortably, and make their daily bread by it. It had been our friend Macshane’s sole profession for many years; and he did not fail to draw from…” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_daily-bread_it-takes-much-more-than-you-think-for-to_730194.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_daily-bread_it-takes-much-more-than-you-think-for-to_730194.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_daily-bread_it-takes-much-more-than-you-think-for-to_730194.jpg) > ““It takes much more than you think for to starve a man. Starvation is very little when you are used to it. Some people I know even, who live on it quite comfortably, and make their daily bread by it. It had been our friend Macshane’s sole profession for many years; and he did not fail to draw from it such a livelihood as was sufficient, and perhaps too good, for him. He managed to dine upon it a certain or rather uncertain number of days in the week, to sleep somewhere, and to get drunk at least three hundred times a year. He was known to one or two noblemen who occasionally helped him with a few pieces, and whom he helped in turn — never mind how. He had other acquaintances whom he pestered undauntedly; and from whom he occasionally extracted a dinner, or a crown, or mayhap, by mistake, a goldheaded cane, which found its way to the pawnbroker’s.”” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survival can become a comfortable routine, even when it involves extreme hardship and moral compromise. **In simple terms:** People can adapt to harsh conditions and make a living from them. Key Takeaway Recognize when hardship is normalized and seek healthier alternatives. Themes survival adaptation morality Mood somber critical Type narrative social commentary When to use this quote - street life - low‑wage work - addiction - charitable aid Key Concepts poverty exploitation social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What would you change about a life built on such survival? - How does society enable or discourage such coping? A Different Perspective Comfort in hardship may blind one to better options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Daily bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-bread/) [Starvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation/) ## Related quotes > [“Read or Starve." 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