--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wars and elections are both too big and…" description: "\"Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.\" — Barbara Kingsolver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/barbara-kingsolver-200_daily-work_wars-and-elections-are-both-too-big-and_2542154.png" --- # Wars and elections are both too big and too small to… ![“Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/barbara-kingsolver-200_daily-work_wars-and-elections-are-both-too-big-and_2542154.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/barbara-kingsolver-200_daily-work_wars-and-elections-are-both-too-big-and_2542154.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/barbara-kingsolver-200_daily-work_wars-and-elections-are-both-too-big-and_2542154.png) > “Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Large political events seem insignificant compared to the cumulative impact of everyday work, which ultimately shapes long-term outcomes. **In simple terms:** Small daily actions matter more than big events. Key Takeaway Focus on consistent daily effort. Themes politics daily work impact long-term Mood reflective practical inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - community projects - workplace tasks - personal habits Key Concepts sociology productivity cumulative effect Questions to Reflect On - What daily habits contribute to your goals? - How do you balance big issues with small actions? A Different Perspective Large events can still influence systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Daily work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-work/) [Elections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elections/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) ## Related quotes > [“Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. 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I think of it as one more morning in a muggy cotton field, checking the undersides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/you-re-thinking-of-revolution-as-a-great-all-or-nothing-i-think-of-it/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's a shame for a woman's history to be all about men-first boys, then other boys, then men, men, men. It reminds me of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kostova/it-s-a-shame-for-a-woman-s-history-to-be-all-about-men-first-boys/) [Elizabeth Kostova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kostova/) > [The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-daily-work-that-goes-on-it-adds-up/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [In the long run all battles are lost, and so are all wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/in-the-long-run-all-battles-are-lost-and-so-are-all-wars/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [In the long run, most of us spend about fifteen minutes total in the entanglements of passion, and the rest of our days looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-the-long-run-most-of-us-spend-about-fifteen-minutes-total-in-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The welfare, the happiness, the energy and spirit of the men and women who do the daily workis the underlying necessity of all prosperity……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-welfare-the-happiness-the-energy-and-spirit-of-the-men-and-women/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-guess-we-all-like-to-be-recognized-not-for-one-piece-of-fireworks/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [“Grandpa, in his male armchair, deaf aid occasionally whistling and pipe making a hubble-bubble noise as he sucked on it, would shake his head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/grandpa-in-his-male-armchair-deaf-aid-occasionally-whistling-and-pipe/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Once you are accustomed to giving your body a daily workout, you feel constrained when you don't exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/once-you-are-accustomed-to-giving-your-body-a-daily-workout-you-feel/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [“Joyfully we undertake our daily work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/joyfully-we-undertake-our-daily-work/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Our daily work ethic - that need to always do better and top our last performance - is what makes USWNT football players who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-krieger/our-daily-work-ethic-that-need-to-always-do-better-and-top-our-last/) [Ali Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-krieger/) > [“Sometimes its was better to keep silent, Because when we are silent we know what we forget back in life, In this fast daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pradeep-h-hivare/sometimes-its-was-better-to-keep-silent-because-when-we-are-silent-we/) Pradeep H Hivare ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. 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The daily work--that goes on, and it adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/wars-and-elections-are-both-too-big-and-too-small-to-matter-in-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Once you are accustomed to giving your body a daily workout, you feel constrained when you don't exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/once-you-are-accustomed-to-giving-your-body-a-daily-workout-you-feel/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [The welfare, the happiness, the energy and spirit of the men and women who do the daily workis the underlying necessity of all prosperity……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-welfare-the-happiness-the-energy-and-spirit-of-the-men-and-women/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [“You're thinking of revolution as a great all-or-nothing. I think of it as one more morning in a muggy cotton field, checking the undersides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/you-re-thinking-of-revolution-as-a-great-all-or-nothing-i-think-of-it/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-guess-we-all-like-to-be-recognized-not-for-one-piece-of-fireworks/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [“Grandpa, in his male armchair, deaf aid occasionally whistling and pipe making a hubble-bubble noise as he sucked on it, would shake his head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/grandpa-in-his-male-armchair-deaf-aid-occasionally-whistling-and-pipe/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [The Prophet introduced a system of prayer in that it was interwoven into man's daily work: a prayer in the morning when he arose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/the-prophet-introduced-a-system-of-prayer-in-that-it-was-interwoven/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“we value improvement of our daily work more than daily work itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/we-value-improvement-of-our-daily-work-more-than-daily-work-itself/) [Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/) > [Results should not be too voluntarily aimed at or too busily thought of. They are sure to float up of their own accord from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/results-should-not-be-too-voluntarily-aimed-at-or-too-busily-thought/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Nothing about the daily workings of the prison system focuses its inhabitants’ attention on what life back on the outside, as a free citizen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piper-kerman/nothing-about-the-daily-workings-of-the-prison-system-focuses-its/) [Piper Kerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piper-kerman/) > [I used to think hard work made me come alive, honestly. 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