--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great many of us have confused change…" description: "\"A great many of us have confused change with progress.\" — Adela Rogers St. Johns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png" --- # A great many of us have confused change with progress. ![“A great many of us have confused change with progress.” quote by Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png) > “A great many of us have confused change with progress.” [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distinguishes mere alteration from genuine improvement. **In simple terms:** Change isn’t always progress. Key Takeaway Seek true improvement, not just change. Themes change progress critical thinking Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business strategy - personal growth - policy reform - education - technology adoption Key Concepts sociology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What changes have you made that didn’t lead to progress? - How do you evaluate if change is beneficial? A Different Perspective Progress requires measurable outcomes, not just novelty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) ## Related quotes > [we can't be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion; cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-j-wheatley/we-can-t-be-creative-if-we-refuse-to-be-confused-change-always-starts/) [Margaret J. Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-j-wheatley/) > [“Stay on track, don't look back. You have come too far not to finish what you started. You can improve, you can change, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-on-track-don-t-look-back-you-have-come-too-far-not-to-finish/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Not all change is progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/not-all-change-is-progress/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [Change is not progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/change-is-not-progress/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is not strange... to mistake change for progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/it-is-not-strange-to-mistake-change-for-progress/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [All change may not be progress, but all progress is the result of change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/all-change-may-not-be-progress-but-all-progress-is-the-result-of/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Although there is no progress without change, not all change is progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/although-there-is-no-progress-without-change-not-all-change-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [“Change is a quintessential element of progress. Without change, progress is non-existent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/change-is-a-quintessential-element-of-progress-without-change/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The great man is the man who does a thing for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/the-great-man-is-the-man-who-does-a-thing-for-the-first-time/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Nature never sends a great man into the planet, without confiding the secret to another soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/nature-never-sends-a-great-man-into-the-planet-without-confiding-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [We expect a great man to be a good reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-expect-a-great-man-to-be-a-good-reader/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Greatness by nature includes a power, but not a will to power. ... The great man, whether we comprehend him in the most intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/greatness-by-nature-includes-a-power-but-not-a-will-to-power-the/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [My father was a really great man. I'll never forget the last thing he ever said to me. Nor will I ever repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-hall/my-father-was-a-really-great-man-i-ll-never-forget-the-last-thing-he/) [John S. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-hall/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) ## More by Adela Rogers St. Johns > [There is so little difference between husbands you might as well keep the first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/there-is-so-little-difference-between-husbands-you-might-as-well-keep/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. Little men are dissolved in it. If there is any gold, truth makes it shine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/the-truth-the-whole-truth-nothing-but-the-truth-little-men-are/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [I think death has a right to its own courage and dignity and self-respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/i-think-death-has-a-right-to-its-own-courage-and-dignity-and-self/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [“God made man, and then he said, "I can do better than that," and made woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/god-made-man-and-then-he-said-i-can-do-better-than-that-and-made-woman/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [The motion picture is the people's Art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/the-motion-picture-is-the-people-s-art/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [The modern woman is the curse of the universe. A disaster, that's what. She thinks that before her arrival on the scene no woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/the-modern-woman-is-the-curse-of-the-universe-a-disaster-that-s-what/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [Woman's work as a listener is never done. ... I thought I'd spent too much of my life listening for some damn man -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/woman-s-work-as-a-listener-is-never-done-i-thought-i-d-spent-too-much/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [Death is a door life opens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/death-is-a-door-life-opens/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [Happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you're lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/happiness-is-a-sort-of-atmosphere-you-can-live-in-sometimes-when-you/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [I think every woman is entitled to a middle husband she can forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/i-think-every-woman-is-entitled-to-a-middle-husband-she-can-forget/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) > [Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/joy-is-a-light-that-fills-you-with-hope-and-faith-and-love/) [Adela Rogers St. Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) [Explore all 12 Adela Rogers St. Johns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A great many of us have confused change with progress.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adela Rogers St. Johns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change-with-progress/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change-with-progress/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c8/adela-rogers-st-johns-37372_change_a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change_862032.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A great many of us have confused change with progress.” — Adela Rogers St. Johns", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adela Rogers St. Johns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-rogers-st-johns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A great many of us have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change-with-progress/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-rogers-st-johns/a-great-many-of-us-have-confused-change-with-progress/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```