--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to act as if it were possible to…" description: "\"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.\" — Angela Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png" --- # You have to act as if it were possible to radically… ![“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” quote by Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png) > “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Radical change requires constant action and belief in possibility, urging relentless effort. **In simple terms:** Act as if change is possible. Key Takeaway Keep striving for transformation. Themes activism hope determination Mood determined inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - social justice - environmental activism - personal advocacy Key Concepts systemic change possibility mindset Questions to Reflect On - What sustains your activism? - How do you balance idealism with practicality? A Different Perspective Continuous effort can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [As an actor you want to just like, act as much as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alia-shawkat/as-an-actor-you-want-to-just-like-act-as-much-as-possible/) [Alia Shawkat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alia-shawkat/) > [What must underlie successful epidemics, in the end, is a bedrock belief that change is possible, that people can radically transform their behavior or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/what-must-underlie-successful-epidemics-in-the-end-is-a-bedrock/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“History and common sense make clear that you cannot radically transform every part of an organization—and accelerate the underlying clock of that enterprise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salim-ismail/history-and-common-sense-make-clear-that-you-cannot-radically/) [Salim Ismail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salim-ismail/) > [Anything that forces you to act at the possible harm of your own existence is going to exact a cost. You have to then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/anything-that-forces-you-to-act-at-the-possible-harm-of-your-own/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [To be honest, I didn't want to believe that Christianity could radically transform someone's character and values. It was much easier to raise doubts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/to-be-honest-i-didn-t-want-to-believe-that-christianity-could/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [An actor has to be a complete package, he should have a toned body, know how to dance, act and do everything possible under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/an-actor-has-to-be-a-complete-package-he-should-have-a-toned-body/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [“Dream the impossible, Act the possible, Achieve the incredible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-maurya/dream-the-impossible-act-the-possible-achieve-the-incredible/) Atul Maurya > [A person is what his life is. Therefore, if he does not modify anything within himself, if he does not radically transform his life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samael-aun-weor/a-person-is-what-his-life-is-therefore-if-he-does-not-modify-anything/) [Samael Aun Weor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samael-aun-weor/) > [Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. -NeSha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nesha/small-acts-when-multiplied-by-millions-of-people-can-transform-the/) [Nesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nesha/) > [The ultimate reason for meditating is to transform ourselves in order to be better able to transform the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/the-ultimate-reason-for-meditating-is-to-transform-ourselves-in-order/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [You are the world. When you transform yourself, the world you live in will also be transformed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/you-are-the-world-when-you-transform-yourself-the-world-you-live-in/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/give-me-just-one-generation-of-youth-and-i-ll-transform-the-whole/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [It is the stillness that will save and transform the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/it-is-the-stillness-that-will-save-and-transform-the-world/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“It is inner stillness that will save and transform the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/it-is-inner-stillness-that-will-save-and-transform-the-world/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Changing your perspectives will not only transform you but also the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ji-hae-park/changing-your-perspectives-will-not-only-transform-you-but-also-the/) [Ji-Hae Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ji-hae-park/) ## More by Angela Davis > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Often young black people are looking towards the alternative economies. They are looking towards the drug economy… the economies that are going to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/often-young-black-people-are-looking-towards-the-alternative/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-grew-up-in-the-southern-united-states-in-a-city-which-at-that-time/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We have been basically persuaded that we should not talk about racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-have-been-basically-persuaded-that-we-should-not-talk-about-racism/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [You can't criticize people for wanting to have a decent life or wanting to live decently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-can-t-criticize-people-for-wanting-to-have-a-decent-life-or/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [As soon as my trial was over, we tried to use the energy that had developed around my case to create another organization, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/as-soon-as-my-trial-was-over-we-tried-to-use-the-energy-that-had/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [There is so much history of this racist violence that simply to bring one person to justice is not going to disturb the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/there-is-so-much-history-of-this-racist-violence-that-simply-to-bring/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I’m a feminist so I believe in inhabiting contradictions. I believe in making contradictions productive, not in having to choose one side or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-m-a-feminist-so-i-believe-in-inhabiting-contradictions-i-believe-in/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Kids these days are kind of going back to Tupac and Snoop Doggy Dogg as examples of people that stand for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/kids-these-days-are-kind-of-going-back-to-tupac-and-snoop-doggy-dogg/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/prisons-do-not-disappear-social-problems-they-disappear-human-beings/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We are never assured of justice without a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-are-never-assured-of-justice-without-a-fight/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/human-beings-cannot-be-willed-and-molded-into-non-existence/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [It doesn't surprise me that aspect of the black nationalist movement, the cultural side, has triumphed because that is the aspect of the movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/it-doesn-t-surprise-me-that-aspect-of-the-black-nationalist-movement/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Walls turned sideways are bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/walls-turned-sideways-are-bridges/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) [Explore all 118 Angela Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## 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": "You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Angela Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-to-radically-transform-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-to-radically-transform-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be0/angela-davis-3825_change_you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-t_1486987.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Davis", "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": "Angela Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to act as if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-to-radically-transform-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-have-to-act-as-if-it-were-possible-to-radically-transform-the/#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 } } ] } ```