--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people's major life changes don't…" description: "\"Most people's major life changes don't come from reading an article in the newspaper; they come from reading longer-form essays or thoughtful books, wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/aaron-swartz-11684_articles_most-people-s-major-life-changes-don-t-c_1719813.jpg" --- # Most people's major life changes don't come from reading… ![“Most people's major life changes don't come from reading an article in the newspaper; they come from reading longer-form essays or thoughtful books, which are much more convincing and detailed.” quote by Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/aaron-swartz-11684_articles_most-people-s-major-life-changes-don-t-c_1719813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/aaron-swartz-11684_articles_most-people-s-major-life-changes-don-t-c_1719813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f4/aaron-swartz-11684_articles_most-people-s-major-life-changes-don-t-c_1719813.jpg) > “Most people's major life changes don't come from reading an article in the newspaper; they come from reading longer-form essays or thoughtful books, which are much more convincing and detailed.” [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep, sustained reading shapes opinions more than brief news pieces. **In simple terms:** Longer reading changes lives more than short articles. Key Takeaway Prioritize essays and books for lasting insight. Themes learning growth depth Mood reflective inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - personal development - policy making - academic research Key Concepts critical thinking cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - What topics would benefit from deeper reading? - How can you integrate longer texts into a busy schedule? A Different Perspective Short articles can still spark curiosity; they’re not useless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Article Newspaper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/article-newspaper-1327213/) [Articles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/articles/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-convincing-1327215/) [Convincing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convincing/) [Essays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays/) [Essays Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essays-thoughtful-1327212/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-changes/) [Life changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-changing/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Article](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-article-1327214/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [My new novel 'Red Hook Road' began many years ago as a short article in the newspaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/my-new-novel-red-hook-road-began-many-years-ago-as-a-short-article-in/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [At the breakfast table we are footnoting everything that we read. We don't recognise it as such but we encounter an article in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-z-danielewski/at-the-breakfast-table-we-are-footnoting-everything-that-we-read-we/) [Mark Z. Danielewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-z-danielewski/) > [You know how the best story angles often spring from that thought you have on reading an article or watching a show - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-denton/you-know-how-the-best-story-angles-often-spring-from-that-thought-you/) [Nick Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-denton/) > [It's definitely a thing to be sitting there, getting a pedicure, and you look over and someone is reading an article about an aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/it-s-definitely-a-thing-to-be-sitting-there-getting-a-pedicure-and/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [“Reading the article he wished for more detail ... But the media was the last place one should look for truth. A person was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mott/reading-the-article-he-wished-for-more-detail-but-the-media-was-the/) [Jason Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mott/) > [Any way I can explain it. That in life we go through changes but we know it deserves a purpose. Yes sometimes it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mary/any-way-i-can-explain-it-that-in-life-we-go-through-changes-but-we/) [Mary Mary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mary/) > [When life changes to be harder, change yourself to be stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-life-changes-to-be-harder-change-yourself-to-be-stronger/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life changes so quickly. feeling grateful to be around such wonderful people to strengthen and grow with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-keough/life-changes-so-quickly-feeling-grateful-to-be-around-such-wonderful/) [Riley Keough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-keough/) > [Everyone needs reminders that the fact of their being on this earth is important and that each life changes everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-kennedy/everyone-needs-reminders-that-the-fact-of-their-being-on-this-earth/) [Marge Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-kennedy/) > [When We Get All Answers, Life Changes Its Question...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/when-we-get-all-answers-life-changes-its-question/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Well life changes we just have to deal with the changes that come along with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-rafael-yglesia/well-life-changes-we-just-have-to-deal-with-the-changes-that-come/) [Ivan Rafael Yglesia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-rafael-yglesia/) > [There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/there-is-only-one-thing-in-life-which-never-changes-and-it-is-change/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [If your life changes, we can change the world, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/if-your-life-changes-we-can-change-the-world-too/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Sometimes the littlest thing in life changes something forever and there will be times when you wish you can go back to how things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/sometimes-the-littlest-thing-in-life-changes-something-forever-and/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) ## More by Aaron Swartz > [Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/without-the-ability-to-talk-about-government-power-there-s-no-way-for/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Most people, it seems, stretch the truth to make themselves seem more impressive. I, it seems, stretch the truth to make myself look worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/most-people-it-seems-stretch-the-truth-to-make-themselves-seem-more/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [As the Internet breaks down the last justifications for a professional class of politicians, it also builds up the tools for replacing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/as-the-internet-breaks-down-the-last-justifications-for-a/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Normally, I just sit in my quiet little room and do the small things that bring me pleasures. I read my books, I answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/normally-i-just-sit-in-my-quiet-little-room-and-do-the-small-things/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves. The world's entire scientific and cultural heritage, published over centuries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/but-like-all-power-there-are-those-who-want-to-keep-it-for-themselves/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... And if you're not working on that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/what-is-the-most-important-thing-you-could-be-working-on-in-the-world/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Social Security got passed because John D. Rockefeller was sick of having to take money out of his profits to pay for his workers'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/social-security-got-passed-because-john-d-rockefeller-was-sick-of/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [What if there was a library which held every book? Not every book on sale, or every important book, or even every book in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/what-if-there-was-a-library-which-held-every-book-not-every-book-on/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Books are totally useless unless you take their advice. If you just keep reading them, thinking "that's so insightful! that changes everything," but never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/books-are-totally-useless-unless-you-take-their-advice-if-you-just/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [But all of this action goes on in the dark, hidden underground. It’s called stealing or piracy, as if sharing a wealth of knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/but-all-of-this-action-goes-on-in-the-dark-hidden-underground-it-s/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [With enough of us, around the world, we'll not just send a strong message opposing the privatization of knowledge - we'll make it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/with-enough-of-us-around-the-world-we-ll-not-just-send-a-strong/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [There's all sorts of stuff people want to publish anonymously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/there-s-all-sorts-of-stuff-people-want-to-publish-anonymously/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Now, as far as I know, nobody has ever put up the U.S.'s nuclear missiles on the Internet. I mean, it's not something I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/now-as-far-as-i-know-nobody-has-ever-put-up-the-u-s-s-nuclear/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [What is "this drive"? It's the tendency to not simply accept things as they are but to want to think about them, to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/what-is-this-drive-it-s-the-tendency-to-not-simply-accept-things-as/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Life is short ... so why waste it doing something dumb?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/life-is-short-so-why-waste-it-doing-something-dumb/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) [Explore all 58 Aaron Swartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) ## More Articles quotes > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The strange thing with Wikipedia is that the first article that ever gets written about you will define your Wikipedia page forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/the-strange-thing-with-wikipedia-is-that-the-first-article-that-ever/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Authors of published papers and editors of scientific journals can, unfortunately, be slow to come to terms with criticism, and it's good that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gelman/authors-of-published-papers-and-editors-of-scientific-journals-can/) [Andrew Gelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gelman/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Over immense periods of time the intellect produced nothing but errors. A few of these proved to be useful and helped to preserve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intellect-produced-nothing-but/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I used to be a columnist for 'Golf Monthly' and have contributed articles for national newspapers based on the humour that is in abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-carrott/i-used-to-be-a-columnist-for-golf-monthly-and-have-contributed/) [Jasper Carrott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-carrott/) > [There was an interesting article in Los Angeles Magazine about women directors. A woman director makes one bad independent film and her career is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-wolf/there-was-an-interesting-article-in-los-angeles-magazine-about-women/) [Dick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-wolf/) > [People went out there and they wrote articles and went on television shows saying that I am an operative that the CIA who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-went-out-there-and-they-wrote-articles-and-went-on-television/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize,... 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