--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is more likely that the paths others…" description: "\"“It is more likely that the paths others have chosen influence the paths I choose. This suggests that the simplest way to help others make different ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/allan-g-johnson-49869_change_it-is-more-likely-that-the-paths-others_906027.jpg" --- # It is more likely that the paths others have chosen… ![“It is more likely that the paths others have chosen influence the paths I choose. This suggests that the simplest way to help others make different choices is to make them myself, and to do it openly. As I shift the patterns of my own participation in the systemps of privilege, I make it easier…” quote by Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/allan-g-johnson-49869_change_it-is-more-likely-that-the-paths-others_906027.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/allan-g-johnson-49869_change_it-is-more-likely-that-the-paths-others_906027.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/allan-g-johnson-49869_change_it-is-more-likely-that-the-paths-others_906027.jpg) > ““It is more likely that the paths others have chosen influence the paths I choose. This suggests that the simplest way to help others make different choices is to make them myself, and to do it openly. As I shift the patterns of my own participation in the systemps of privilege, I make it easier for others to do so as well, and harder for them not to. Simply by setting an example - rather than trying to change them - I crate the possibility of their participating in change in their own time and in their own way. In this way I widen the circle of change without provoking the kind of defensiveness that perpetuates paths of least resistance and the oppressive systems they serve.”” [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Showing new ways of acting openly can influence others more effectively than direct persuasion, reducing resistance and expanding collective change. **In simple terms:** Lead by example to inspire others. Key Takeaway Model desired behavior openly. Themes leadership social change influence Mood hopeful inspirational Type motivational practical When to use this quote - workplace reform - community organizing - educational curricula Key Concepts modeling privilege systemic change Questions to Reflect On - What example can you set today? - How can openness reduce defensiveness? A Different Perspective Changing personal behavior may not be enough without structural support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Provoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-provoking-1287383/) [Chosen Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chosen-influence-1287381/) [Different choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-choices/) [Help others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-others/) [Influence Paths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence-paths-1287380/) [Paths Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paths-choose-1287384/) [Paths Chosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paths-chosen-1287382/) [Trying to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-change/) ## Related quotes > [“None of us asked for this life. I, of all people should know that our paths were chosen for us and we were just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-kentowski/none-of-us-asked-for-this-life-i-of-all-people-should-know-that-our/) [L.J. Kentowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-kentowski/) > [There is a time in every life when paths are chosen, character is forged. I could have chosen a different path. But I didn’t.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-is-a-time-in-every-life-when-paths-are-chosen-character-is/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brodi-ashton/heroes-are-made-by-the-paths-they-choose-not-the-powers-they-are/) [Brodi Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brodi-ashton/) > [“We walk the paths we choose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-wood/we-walk-the-paths-we-choose/) [Barbara Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-wood/) > [The journey of our lives is not just about the destinations we have reached. Our wisdom, education and personal growth come from the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-journey-of-our-lives-is-not-just-about-the-destinations-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is like a corn maze...so many paths to choose...yet only one is the right one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-messick/life-is-like-a-corn-maze-so-many-paths-to-choose-yet-only-one-is-the/) [Kevin Messick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-messick/) > [“C had spread a roadmap before me with many paths to choose from. I could go on a bitter journey to a place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lemieux/c-had-spread-a-roadmap-before-me-with-many-paths-to-choose-from-i/) [Richard LeMieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lemieux/) > [There are only two paths you can choose. You can sit quietly and be selected out of this world, or you can adapt and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guilty-crown/there-are-only-two-paths-you-can-choose-you-can-sit-quietly-and-be/) [Guilty Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guilty-crown/) > [Gide says the hell of this life is that between a hundred paths we have to choose only one, and live with nostalgia for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-sabino/gide-says-the-hell-of-this-life-is-that-between-a-hundred-paths-we/) [Fernando Sabino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-sabino/) > [“Fate is the name of a large bunch of myriad paths; we choose one out of these.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-n-prasher/fate-is-the-name-of-a-large-bunch-of-myriad-paths-we-choose-one-out/) [R. N. Prasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-n-prasher/) > [“There are two paths of which one may choose in the walk of life; one we are born with, and the one we consciously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/there-are-two-paths-of-which-one-may-choose-in-the-walk-of-life-one/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [The paths that we choose don't always take us where we want to go. Sometimes they take us where we need to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/the-paths-that-we-choose-don-t-always-take-us-where-we-want-to-go/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“There are innumerable paths one may choose in this life- some that, at first, appear flawed. Yet, if lived with love and honesty, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-delucy/there-are-innumerable-paths-one-may-choose-in-this-life-some-that-at/) [Jennifer DeLucy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-delucy/) > [“In our own eyes, the paths we choose to take in life always seem right. But we, unlike God, do not see the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddick-van-zyl/in-our-own-eyes-the-paths-we-choose-to-take-in-life-always-seem-right/) [Paddick Van Zyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddick-van-zyl/) > [We are free to choose our paths, but we can't choose the consequences that come with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/we-are-free-to-choose-our-paths-but-we-can-t-choose-the-consequences/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) ## More by Allan G. Johnson > [“Male experience is what patriarchal culture uses to represent human experience, even when it is women who most often live it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/male-experience-is-what-patriarchal-culture-uses-to-represent-human/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [“This was especially true of the Irish in Ireland in relation to the British, who for centuries treated them as an inferior race. Note,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/this-was-especially-true-of-the-irish-in-ireland-in-relation-to-the/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [“A society is patriarchal to the degree that it promotes male privilege by being male dominated, male identified, and male centered. It is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/a-society-is-patriarchal-to-the-degree-that-it-promotes-male/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [“People are tagged with other labels that point to the lowest-status group they belong to, as in "woman doctor" or "black writer," but never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/people-are-tagged-with-other-labels-that-point-to-the-lowest-status/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [“One way to see the constructed nature of reality is to notice how the definitions of different "races" change historically, by including groups at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/one-way-to-see-the-constructed-nature-of-reality-is-to-notice-how-the/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) > [“To justify such direct forms of imperialism and oppression, whites developed the IDEA of whiteness to define a privileged social category elevated above everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-johnson/to-justify-such-direct-forms-of-imperialism-and-oppression-whites/) [Allan G. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) [Explore all 7 Allan G. Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-johnson/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“It is more likely that the paths others have chosen influence the paths I choose. 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