"The number one rule of thieves is that nothing is too small to steal"

Jimmy Breslin’s assertion that nothing is too small to steal reveals much about human nature, not merely the mindset of thieves. It captures the unyielding diligence and opportunism of those who make a living, literally or figuratively, by taking from others. Even the smallest objects, insignificant to most, become valuable in the eyes of someone practiced in taking what does not belong to them. The phrase recognizes an essential truth: the act of stealing is rarely about the absolute value of what is taken, it is about the act itself, the accumulation, always searching for gain, regardless of scale.

Many interpret this philosophy not just as a literal rule among criminals but as a metaphorical reminder that indifference to petty theft breeds bigger problems. If society overlooks minor infractions, considering them too trivial to matter, it inadvertently cultivates an environment where ever-larger wrongdoings can flourish. The trivial can become habitual, and habit can become culture. Thieves, conscious of this, exploit the tendency to ignore details, to overlook the lost coins, pilfered pens, or missing opportunities, knowing that these “little things” can tally up to something substantial over time.

It is also a lesson in vigilance. The world is not always composed of grand heists; rather, it’s a collection of small actions, overlooked details, and unnoticed losses. Those who look for gain in every corner understand the power of accumulation, one coin at a time, a pocketful turns into a fortune. The statement challenges the broader public to consider where they are complacent, what they dismiss as too minor to matter, and how this unconscious permissiveness enables resourceful opportunists. Breslin’s wisdom endures because it unmasks a fundamental truth: the difference between profit and loss, integrity and corruption, can hinge on what most regard as inconsequential.