--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's even one thing we can do…" description: "\"If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can save - we have an obligation to try\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg" --- # If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can… ![“If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can save - we have an obligation to try” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg) > “If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can save - we have an obligation to try” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We have a moral duty to act when we can help even one life, emphasizing collective responsibility. **In simple terms:** We must try to help whenever possible. Key Takeaway Act whenever you can help. Themes responsibility compassion activism ethics Mood inspirational urgent Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - emergency aid - healthcare - education - environmental protection - community service Key Concepts humanitarian duty social impact Questions to Reflect On - What small actions can you take today? - How do you prioritize help when resources are scarce? A Different Perspective Resources may be limited, making action difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Save](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-save/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Obligation Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation-try-1429961/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Save](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save/) [Save Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-obligation-2012414/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [Given the choice, children who don't want for anything will not save... We have an obligation as parents to give our children what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-coloroso/given-the-choice-children-who-don-t-want-for-anything-will-not-save/) [Barbara Coloroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-coloroso/) > [“Save one life, you save the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torah/save-one-life-you-save-the-world/) [Torah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torah/) > [I have an obligation to try to live as long as I can for my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/i-have-an-obligation-to-try-to-live-as-long-as-i-can-for-my-family/) [Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/) > [“Tocqueville observed after visiting the new republic, the widespread perception that anyone can get ahead creates a presumption that everyone has an obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tocqueville-observed-after-visiting-the-new-republic-the-widespread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Somehow I believed it was my obligation to try to do the right thing by her because she had given birth to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-g-kaye/somehow-i-believed-it-was-my-obligation-to-try-to-do-the-right-thing/) [D.G. Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-g-kaye/) > [Basketball is in my blood. It is my obligation to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-olajuwon/basketball-is-in-my-blood-it-is-my-obligation-to-try/) [Hakeem Olajuwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-olajuwon/) > [We have a responsibility and an obligation to do everything we can to try to make this work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/we-have-a-responsibility-and-an-obligation-to-do-everything-we-can-to/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Given how well the cards have been dealt to someone like myself, I think there's an inherent obligation to try to reach out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-walker/given-how-well-the-cards-have-been-dealt-to-someone-like-myself-i/) [Max Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-walker/) > [And I’ve said this all across the country when I talk to parents about education, government has to fulfill its obligations to fund education,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/and-i-ve-said-this-all-across-the-country-when-i-talk-to-parents/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-still-believe-that-our-obligations-as-americans-are-not-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-an-obligation-and-a-responsibility-to-be-investing-in-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Theoretically, you can make, obviously, a powerful argument that centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination are the primary cause for all those gaps. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/theoretically-you-can-make-obviously-a-powerful-argument-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-still-believe-that-our-obligations-as-americans-are-not/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We cannot stop every act of senseless violence. We cannot know every evil that lurks in troubled minds. But if we can prevent even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-cannot-stop-every-act-of-senseless-violence-we-cannot-know-every/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If Iran does not take steps in the near future to live up to its obligations, then the United States will not continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-iran-does-not-take-steps-in-the-near-future-to-live-up-to-its/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can save - we have an obligation to try", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even-one-life-we-can-save-we-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can do" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even-one-life-we-can-save-we-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/barack-obama-17_can-do_if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even_1578312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's even one thing we can do - even one life we can save - we have an obligation to try” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there's even one thing we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even-one-life-we-can-save-we-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-there-s-even-one-thing-we-can-do-even-one-life-we-can-save-we-have/#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 } } ] } ```