Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Lean, hungry men are depicted as the primary agents of social unrest and mobs rather than fat men.
In plain terms
Poor and hungry people are more likely to cause riots than wealthy and full people.
What can you take from it?
Economic hardship often fuels social unrest.

Where it applies

  • political movements
  • economic crises
  • social reform

Putting it to work

  • addressing poverty
  • monitoring unrest

Questions to consider

  • Does poverty cause riots?
  • Are hungry men more dangerous?

Another view

Riots can occur across all economic classes.

More from Washington Irving

  1. How convenient it would be to many of our great men and great families of doubtful origin, could they have the privilege of the heroes of yore, who, whenever t…

    Permalink to quote #7
  2. His wife 'ruled the roost,' and in governing the governor, governed the province, which might thus be said to be under petticoat government.

    Permalink to quote #9
  3. There is an eloquence in true enthusiasm that is not to be doubted.

    Permalink to quote #6

Related quotes

  1. The murmuring poor, who will not fast in peace.

    George CrabbeGeorge Crabbe quote #2
  2. The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest…

    Gilbert Keith ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton quote #89
  3. No man can be a patriot on an empty stomach.

    William CowperWilliam Cowper quote #103