--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the most important thing you…" description: "\"What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... And if you're not working on that, why aren't you?\" — Aaron Swartz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/aaron-swartz-11684_ifs_what-is-the-most-important-thing-you-cou_449213.png" --- # What is the most important thing you could be working on… ![“What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... And if you're not working on that, why aren't you?” quote by Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/aaron-swartz-11684_ifs_what-is-the-most-important-thing-you-cou_449213.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/aaron-swartz-11684_ifs_what-is-the-most-important-thing-you-cou_449213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/aaron-swartz-11684_ifs_what-is-the-most-important-thing-you-cou_449213.png) > “What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... And if you're not working on that, why aren't you?” [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. He challenges listeners to identify the most vital global problem and commit to it, questioning in‑action. **In simple terms:** Find and work on the world’s biggest need now. Key Takeaway Align your work with the greatest impact. Themes purpose impact action Mood inspirational urgent Type personal activist When to use this quote - career choices - social entrepreneurship - policy advocacy Key Concepts philosophy activism prioritization Questions to Reflect On - What issue would you tackle if fear weren’t a factor? - How can you measure your impact? A Different Perspective People may lack clarity on what truly matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Motivational work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-work/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The sad thing about working on a movie is that you can never see the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/the-sad-thing-about-working-on-a-movie-is-that-you-can-never-see-the/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [When you hate the thing that you're working on, that's when you question it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moyra-davey/when-you-hate-the-thing-that-you-re-working-on-that-s-when-you/) [Moyra Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moyra-davey/) > [If you're trying one thing and that's not working, try something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-mccourty/if-you-re-trying-one-thing-and-that-s-not-working-try-something-else/) [Devin McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-mccourty/) > [I really don't care what I look like as long as it fits with the thing I'm working on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-welch/i-really-don-t-care-what-i-look-like-as-long-as-it-fits-with-the/) [Michael Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-welch/) > [When things go bad, the best thing to do is keep working and keep coaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-martinez/when-things-go-bad-the-best-thing-to-do-is-keep-working-and-keep/) [Dave Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-martinez/) > [Make sure the thing you are working on is something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/make-sure-the-thing-you-are-working-on-is-something-you-love/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) > [As long as I can still be on my own and do my own thing and be working full time, it's great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-mcpartland/as-long-as-i-can-still-be-on-my-own-and-do-my-own-thing-and-be/) [Marian McPartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-mcpartland/) > [Don't see a thing working-see it finished!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-buckland/don-t-see-a-thing-working-see-it-finished/) [Raymond Buckland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-buckland/) > [Momentum is an amazing thing when it is working in your favour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/momentum-is-an-amazing-thing-when-it-is-working-in-your-favour/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [I think the one thing for me that's been working is just authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-benet/i-think-the-one-thing-for-me-that-s-been-working-is-just-authenticity/) [Eric Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-benet/) > [I have a thing for working with wounded characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jensen/i-have-a-thing-for-working-with-wounded-characters/) [Jane Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jensen/) > [The wider the exposure that we give children of the real working world, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-paphitis/the-wider-the-exposure-that-we-give-children-of-the-real-working/) [Theo Paphitis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-paphitis/) > [O man you are busy working for the world, and the world is busy trying to turn you out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-bakr/o-man-you-are-busy-working-for-the-world-and-the-world-is-busy-trying/) [Abu Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-bakr/) > [“I never dwelt on the dark farcical furious real life of this roaring working world, wow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-never-dwelt-on-the-dark-farcical-furious-real-life-of-this-roaring/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I thought I was gonna be in the minimum-wage working world all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-thought-i-was-gonna-be-in-the-minimum-wage-working-world-all-my-life/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [Large corporations, of course, are blinded by greed. The laws under which they operate require it - their shareholders would revolt at anything less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/large-corporations-of-course-are-blinded-by-greed-the-laws-under/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) [Explore all 58 Aaron Swartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... 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