Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Change
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“Change is impossible in a religion that thinks it’s seen the last prophet. Prophets come and go, and we have to change with them”
Siddharth Katragadda (born 1972) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The problem is that in every example we know, a layer that can change fast also can't change very much.”
Jaron Lanier (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let us stop a while, while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…”
Manav Gupta (born 1967) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Beyond Politics, Beyond Copenhagen, For Our Children" : Treatise, Travelling trilogy, Lectures and Films on Sustainable development by Manav Gupta (2009 -2010), as quoted in Hindustan Times (25 December 2009)
“Some observers feel it is harder to change public opinion in democracies than it is to change policies in totalitarian countries.”
Joseph Nye (1937–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We must not only seek to change the moral characters of individuals, we must make an intelligent and strenuous effort to change the present social system. Thought and energy must be devoted to the eradicating of all elements of our present system that are anti-social and unchristian...”
Kirby Page (1890–1957) said by 1957 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He [Tolstoy] did not believe in the political action advocated by the socialist party. He thought it futile to change the personnel of the Government, and it appeared to him that the making of new laws is an absurdity which could effect no change in conditions.”
Robert Hunter (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[The environment of a system is] a set of elements and their relevant properties, which elements are not part of the system, but a change in any of which can cause or produce a change in the state of the system.”
Russell L. Ackoff (1919–2009) said by 2009 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A wise psychiatrist once said to me, "People want to get better, but they don't want to change." But I would propose that it is only by allowing people born with horizontal identities not to change that one allows them to get better. Any of us can be a better version of himself, but none of us can be someone else.”
Andrew Solomon (born 1963) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Lewin formally defines a Gestalt as:] a system whose parts are dynamically connected in such a way that a change of one part results in a change of all other parts.”
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) first seen 1937 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 218, as cited in: Granville Stanley Hall, Edward Bradford Titchener, Karl M. Dallenbach (1937) The American journal of psychology. Vol. 50, p. 374.
“Any planned social change will have to consider a multitude of factors characteristic for the particular case. The change may require a more or less unique combination of educational and organizational measures; it may depend upon quite different treatments or Ideology, expectation and organization. Still, certain general formal principles always have to be considered.”
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) said by 1947 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The study of the conditions for change begins appropriately with an analysis of the conditions for “no change,” that is, for the state of equilibrium.”
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) said by 1947 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“flu is apolitical and does not discriminate between rich and poor. Geographical boundaries are meaningless, and it can circle the globe within hours. In terms of potential impact on mankind, the only thing that comes close is climate change. And, like climate change, pandemic flu is so vast, it can be challenging to wrap your head around it.”
Sanjay Gupta (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Diagonal : From a more global perspective, the change that is needed is much more radical and has to do with the architecture of global power of giant corporations and megabanks. Do you believe it is possible to democratize this capitalist system in which we now live? Do you believe that such a change is possible?”
Rafael Correa (born 1963) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Change life! 'Change society!' These precepts mean nothing without the production of an appropriate space. … new social relationships call for a new space, and vice versa.”
Henri Lefebvre (1901–1991) first seen 1974 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Henri Lefebvre (1991; original French edition, 1974), as quoted in Fainstein The City Builders (2001), p. 272
“Do you still have a half billion dollar short position against Tesla? Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change.”
Elon Musk (born 1971) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: April 22, 2022 reply to Bill Gates per Business Insider article
“Economic principles underlie the overall structure of the software lifecycle, and its primary refinements of prototyping, incremental development, and advancemanship. The primary economic driver of the life-cycle structure is the significantly increasing cost of making a software change or fixing a software problem, as a function of the phase in which the change or fix is made.”
Barry Boehm (1935–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Although we accept the inevitability of change, humans meet it with a lot of resistance. In most cases, change threatens those in positions of advantage and for the most part they are there in the first place to keep things the way they are.”
Jacque Fresco (1916–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Climate change is one of the world’s most serious problems – but moving to a cleaner energy future is also one of the world’s greatest business opportunities. Given the scale of the challenge – and the opportunity – we must act now to tackle climate change. … While the problem can sometimes seem overwhelming, we can turn things around – but we must move beyond climate talk to climate action.”
Ted Turner (1938–2026) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Time for Climate Action", UN Foundation (23 September 2014)
“I would think a faith in God is one thing. I think that if we could change the whole world and keep the land is another thing. Change things yet keep keep the relationship is another thing.”
Ernest J. Gaines (1933–2019) first seen 1990 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Gaines response after being asked: "Do you also see things in that world that you wish could be retained?", as quoted by Marcia Gaudet and Carl WootonPorch in Talk with Ernest Gaines: Conversations on the Writer's Craft…
“The bottom line is that in the United States we spend an enormous amount of money for a health care system that performs poorly. It's time for a change a real change.”
Bernie Sanders (born 1941) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Instead of spending $1.8 trillion a year globally on weapons of destruction... to kill each other, maybe we pool our resources and fight our common enemy which is climate change... I do believe this is the existential issue... People of color in fact, are going to be the people suffering most if we do not deal with climate change.”
Bernie Sanders (born 1941) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sanders takes aim at Biden, Buttigieg in heated debate, in VTDigger (Dec 19, 2019)
“Climate Change Reconsidered, the 2009 report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), is the report on global warming the United Nations' climate panel should have written – but didn't.”
Anthony Watts (born 1958) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A response to the IPCC, wattsupwiththat.com, June 3, 2009.
“[Chuck Sweeny] "Times change, we change with 'em.”
Michael Nava (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Prussian diet has not an ideal composition...but has done useful work; in spite of this it will be necessary to preserve the [general] franchise for the Reichstag and to change the franchise for the diet. I most sincerely regret the announcement of such a change. It is merely a concession to the supposed popular will.”
Hans von Seeckt (1866–1936) first seen 1916 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter (4 February 1916), quoted in F. L. Carsten, The Reichswehr and Politics 1918 to 1933 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966), p. 105.
“From a scientific point of view, the risks from climate change are more serious than from nuclear power. Climate change is hard to control, but nuclear power can be controlled to an extent.”
Stephen Shen (born 1949) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Stephen Shen (2013) cited in "No nuclear power, more carbon: minister" on Taipei Times, 21 March 2013.
“The real sadness of fifty is not that you change so much but that you change so little.”
Max Lerner (1902–1992) said by 1992 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“After all, our laws only reflect the definitions of the majority. When those ideas change, the laws change.”
George Alec Effinger (1947–2002) said by 2002 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The twentieth century was like twenty years' worth of change at today's rate of change.”
Ray Kurzweil (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you have a really good idea, stick to it, but be flexible on how you get there. Be stubborn on your vision but flexible on the details... People who are right a lot change their mind... They have the same data set that they had at the beginning, but they wake up, and they re-analyze things all the time, and they come to a new conclusion, and then they change their mind.”
Jeff Bezos (born 1964) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Is Amazon Unstoppable? by Charles Duhigg, The New Yorker (10 October 2019)
“About my approach to law making. Despite waiting a long time - a very, very long time - to govern, it is not my position that legislative change is always or often the best way to effect change.”
Alex Salmond (1954–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are a little piece of continual change, looking at an infinite quantity of continual change.”
B. K. S. Iyengar (1918–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Global climate change is a big deal to me. We need to change our ways.”
“It will take more time for the change we have to effect, but we don't have more time. The carbon dioxide on Earth, just in the last four years, has increased from .03 percent to .04 percent. And the change will have a significant impact on everyone.”
“Revolutionary change means the seizure of all that is held by the 1 percent, and the transference of these holdings into the hands of the remaining 99 percent. If the 1 percent are simply replaced by another 1 percent, revolutionary change has not taken place.”
George Jackson (activist) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is hard to change long-established building habits; such habits sometimes endure for ages in certain localities with little or no change. It is, however, easy for new communities to acquire bad building habits.”
Ernest Flagg (1857–1947) said by 1947 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I've seen hate change many things for the worse. I've seen love change everything for the good.”
George Jones (1931–2013) first seen 1996 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: I Lived to Tell It All (1996, ebook 2014), Page 205.
“Do not think for one second that what you do is not important. Do not believe one second that individual can't change the course of human events, because individual can and does and will change the course of human events.”
Pamela Geller (born 1958) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think once Americans understand what we’re doing in the world and how much hatred this is generating, we will demand change. And I think history has proven that when we demand change in any area, eventually — it takes a little time — but we do get it. So I’m very hopeful...”
John Perkins (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“.My materials often dictate my change of aims, and I choose to work in a different material much as a man may suddenly feel an appetite for a change of diet. After a steady diet of moulding plaster models for bronzes, I enjoy returning to a discipline of carving stone or wood, and the wood or the stone Inevitably suggests to me a shift of principles or of aims.”
Ossip Zadkine (1888–1967) first seen 1964 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 'The Work of Zadkine' (excerpt), Ionel Jianou, 1964; for the Zadkine Research Center
“On the question of marriage, there is a gulf between some people and the Church. The question, therefore, becomes quite simple: Must the world change its attitude, or must the Church change her fidelity to God?”
Robert Sarah (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Many of the strongest proponents of climate change are now coming out and saying “it’s simply not true?” Citations please? Who were the “top” [ten?] proponents of anthropogenic climate change over the last decade or more? Has even one of them come out and said that it’s just not true? Because I gotta be honest here. (Someone has to be). I smell bullshit.”
“People want change but not too much change. Finding that balance is tricky for every politician.”
Eleanor Clift (born 1940) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Eleanor Clift Interview", by Katharine Hikel, at Vermont Woman (4 August 2004)
“Anita Sarkeesian: For me, the big picture has always been culture change, and pop culture was just a vehicle and a medium through which cultural change can happen or it can be influenced by; so it's not actually about video games. But it's about video games, right?”
Anita Sarkeesian (born 1983) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Fighting for a Cause (Creator) (June 24, 2016), VidCon 2016 @34:06
“Success requires a focused attention of your time and energy. This is true no matter what you want to achieve – to change the world or simply change apartments. All success stories come down to one person having a focused aim – so focused at times it can look like an obsession.”
Nigel Cumberland (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Organizations may try to change constantly; but, after a certain point in the structuration of an organizational field, the aggregate effect of individual change is to lessen the extent of diversity within the field.”
Paul DiMaggio (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It has been a general rule for drawing deeds and other legal documents from the earliest times, which one is taught when one first becomes a pupil to a conveyancer, never to change the form of words unless you are going to change the meaning, and it would be as well if those who are engaged in the preparation of Acts of Parliament would bear in mind that that is the real principle of construction.”
Colin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn (1813–1896) first seen 1866 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hadley v. Perks (1866), L. R. 1Q. B. 457.
“When a broad and significant change occurs in the organization, the first question many people ask is “What's in it for me?” or “What's going to happen to me? This is an indication of the anxiety that occurs when people are faced with the uncertainty associated with organizational change.”
David A. Nadler (1948–2015) first seen 1067 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: David A Nadler (2010), "Techniques for the management of change," Robert Golembiewski (ed.) Handbook of Organizational Consultation, p. 1067; Quoted in: Diane Dormant, Joe Lee (2011). The Chocolate Model of Change.
“It's common... to explain... everything as the result of climate change, but... earth's climate... is in constant flux. Every event in history occurred against the background of... climate change. ...[O]ur planet has experienced numerous cycles of cooling and warming.”
Yuval Noah Harari (born 1976) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[T]he lesson from the history about intelligence: You don't need a lot of intelligence to change the world and potentially to cause havoc. You can change the world with relatively little intelligence. ...I'm not referring to anybody in particular.”
Yuval Noah Harari (born 1976) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Organizational change is a set of behavioral science-based theories, values, strategies, and techniques aimed at the planned change of the organizational work setting for the purpose of enhancing individual development and improving organizational performance, through the alteration of organizational members' on-the-job behaviors.”
Jerry I. Porras (born 1938) first seen 1992 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Jerry I. Porras and Peter J. Robertson (1992). "Organisational development: Theory, practice and research", in: M. Dunnette, L. Hough (Eds), Consulting Psychologist Press, Palo Alto, p. 723