--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truly it would be well if these…" description: "\"“Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so much of themselves and so little of mankind, who want to renew everything, would only be con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg" --- # Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so… ![“Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so much of themselves and so little of mankind, who want to renew everything, would only be content with trying to reform themselves, the task would be arduous enough for them.” quote by Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg) > ““Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so much of themselves and so little of mankind, who want to renew everything, would only be content with trying to reform themselves, the task would be arduous enough for them.”” [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques self‑absorbed visionaries who neglect humanity, urging them to first reform themselves, a daunting task. **In simple terms:** Visionaries should focus on self‑improvement before trying to change everything. Key Takeaway Start with personal reform. Themes humility self‑improvement visionary social change Mood reflective critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political activism - leadership - personal development Key Concepts ego self‑interest reform Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance personal growth with societal impact? - What limits do ego‑driven visions face? A Different Perspective Self‑reform is difficult and may not lead to broader change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reform Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform-task-3582128/) [Truly Visionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-visionaries-3582126/) [Trying Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-reform-966156/) [Visionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries/) [Visionaries Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries-think-3582127/) ## Related quotes > [Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/why-don-t-you-reform-yourselves-that-task-would-be-sufficient-enough/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [I think I'm better than all the people who are trying to reform me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-butterfield/i-think-i-m-better-than-all-the-people-who-are-trying-to-reform-me/) [Paul Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-butterfield/) > [I think that I am better than the people who are trying to reform me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-think-that-i-am-better-than-the-people-who-are-trying-to-reform-me/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think what I'm trying to do, reform-wise, is completely consistent with conservative philosophy. It may not be consistent with some so-called conservatives who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-think-what-i-m-trying-to-do-reform-wise-is-completely-consistent/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [My purpose is to call on my colleagues, whether they're Republicans or Democrats, to get behind the agenda of trying to reform the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lee/my-purpose-is-to-call-on-my-colleagues-whether-they-re-republicans-or/) [Mike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lee/) > [Avoid openly trying to reform people. Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn't want someone else trying to correct his faults. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-packard/avoid-openly-trying-to-reform-people-every-man-knows-he-is-imperfect/) [David Packard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-packard/) > [The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-visionary-lies-to-himself-the-liar-only-to-others/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The visionary is the one who brings his or her voice into the world and who refuses to edit, rehearse, perform, or hide. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angeles-arrien/the-visionary-is-the-one-who-brings-his-or-her-voice-into-the-world/) [Angeles Arrien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angeles-arrien/) > [Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/leaders-are-visionaries-with-a-poorly-developed-sense-of-fear-and-no/) [Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/) > [Gerry Fialka's annual PXL THIS is a reliably surprising and seductive round-up of recent work achieved with the PXL 2000 camera. This humble outdated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-almereyda/gerry-fialka-s-annual-pxl-this-is-a-reliably-surprising-and-seductive/) [Michael Almereyda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-almereyda/) > [As we passed on, it seemed those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meriwether-lewis/as-we-passed-on-it-seemed-those-scenes-of-visionary-enchantment-would/) [Meriwether Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meriwether-lewis/) > [Michael Cole is a visionary!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/michael-cole-is-a-visionary/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) [William Henry Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-pickering/) ## More by Bastiat, Frederick > [“As the result of its systems and of its efforts, it would seem that socialism, notwithstanding all its self-compaceny, can scarcely help perceiving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/as-the-result-of-its-systems-and-of-its-efforts-it-would-seem-that/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) > [“These classes, according to the degree of enlightenment at which they have arrived, may propose to themselves two very different ends, when they thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/these-classes-according-to-the-degree-of-enlightenment-at-which-they/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) > [“You say, "There are men who have no money," and you apply the law. But the law is not a self-supplied fountain, whence every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/you-say-there-are-men-who-have-no-money-and-you-apply-the-law-but-the/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) > [“No society can exist unless the laws are respected to a certain degree, but the safest way to make them respected is to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/no-society-can-exist-unless-the-laws-are-respected-to-a-certain/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) > [“It is so true, that the Socialists look upon mankind as a subject for social experiments, that if, by chance, they are not quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/it-is-so-true-that-the-socialists-look-upon-mankind-as-a-subject-for/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) > [“Our adversaries consider, that an activity which is neither aided by supplies, nor regulated by Government, is an activity destroyed. We think just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/our-adversaries-consider-that-an-activity-which-is-neither-aided-by/) [Bastiat, Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) [Explore all 7 Bastiat, Frederick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/) ## More Visionaries quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) [William Henry Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-pickering/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [Michael Cole is a visionary!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/michael-cole-is-a-visionary/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [As we passed on, it seemed those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meriwether-lewis/as-we-passed-on-it-seemed-those-scenes-of-visionary-enchantment-would/) [Meriwether Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meriwether-lewis/) > [Gerry Fialka's annual PXL THIS is a reliably surprising and seductive round-up of recent work achieved with the PXL 2000 camera. This humble outdated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-almereyda/gerry-fialka-s-annual-pxl-this-is-a-reliably-surprising-and-seductive/) [Michael Almereyda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-almereyda/) > [Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jarvik/leaders-are-visionaries-with-a-poorly-developed-sense-of-fear-and-no/) [Robert Jarvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jarvik/) > [The visionary is the one who brings his or her voice into the world and who refuses to edit, rehearse, perform, or hide. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angeles-arrien/the-visionary-is-the-one-who-brings-his-or-her-voice-into-the-world/) [Angeles Arrien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angeles-arrien/) > [The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-visionary-lies-to-himself-the-liar-only-to-others/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [One of the ways they run forward is by viewing the thing they’re doing as something that’s going to be the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/one-of-the-ways-they-run-forward-is-by-viewing-the-thing-they-re/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [I love art dealers. In some ways, they're my favorite people in the art world. Really. I love that they put their money where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/i-love-art-dealers-in-some-ways-they-re-my-favorite-people-in-the-art/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [A universal peace, it is to be feared, is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-universal-peace-it-is-to-be-feared-is-in-the-catalogue-of-events/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Wright is a visionary with a great strategic mind, and he's a strong business leader with outstanding people skills, ... He's a terrific guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/wright-is-a-visionary-with-a-great-strategic-mind-and-he-s-a-strong/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Oh, all you immigrants and visionaries, what do you hope to find here, who do you hope to become?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/oh-all-you-immigrants-and-visionaries-what-do-you-hope-to-find-here/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [Dreamers dream about things being different. Visionaries envision themselves making a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/dreamers-dream-about-things-being-different-visionaries-envision/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) [Browse all 342 Visionaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so much of themselves and so little of mankind, who want to renew everything, would only be content with trying to reform themselves, the task would be arduous enough for them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bastiat, Frederick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionaries-who-think-so-much-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Visionaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionaries-who-think-so-much-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/bastiat-frederick-50312_visionaries_truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionar_2819990.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Truly it would be well if these visionaries, who think so much of themselves and so little of mankind, who…” — Bastiat, Frederick", "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": "Bastiat, Frederick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastiat-frederick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Truly it would be well if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionaries-who-think-so-much-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastiat-frederick/truly-it-would-be-well-if-these-visionaries-who-think-so-much-of/#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 } } ] } ```