--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If one's desire for change is an earnest…" description: "\"If one's desire for change is an earnest desire to see things improve, then surely there is a state in which things have been improved to the point whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/bret-weinstein-17832_change_if-one-s-desire-for-change-is-an-earnest_703054.jpg" --- # If one's desire for change is an earnest desire to see… ![“If one's desire for change is an earnest desire to see things improve, then surely there is a state in which things have been improved to the point where you would hope to conserve a structure rather than alter it. At that point, you become a conservative.” quote by Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/bret-weinstein-17832_change_if-one-s-desire-for-change-is-an-earnest_703054.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/bret-weinstein-17832_change_if-one-s-desire-for-change-is-an-earnest_703054.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/bret-weinstein-17832_change_if-one-s-desire-for-change-is-an-earnest_703054.jpg) > “If one's desire for change is an earnest desire to see things improve, then surely there is a state in which things have been improved to the point where you would hope to conserve a structure rather than alter it. At that point, you become a conservative.” [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire for improvement leads to change; once satisfied, one becomes conservative to preserve gains. **In simple terms:** Improvement drives change; satisfaction leads to preservation. Key Takeaway Balance progress with preservation. Themes change conservatism progress satisfaction philosophy Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - policy making - personal growth - organizational development Key Concepts evolutionary theory psychology political ideology Questions to Reflect On - When is it wise to conserve rather than innovate? - How do we recognize true improvement? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on preservation can stall necessary innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) ## Related quotes > [In 1904, 20 per cent of journeys were made by bicycle in London. I want to see a figure like that again. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-johnson/in-1904-20-per-cent-of-journeys-were-made-by-bicycle-in-london-i-want/) [Boris Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-johnson/) > [Hang in, keep cool, and stay who you are. Things will improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gaskarth/hang-in-keep-cool-and-stay-who-you-are-things-will-improve/) [Alex Gaskarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gaskarth/) > [I am satisfied the way that I am playing. Is obvious that there is always things to improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/i-am-satisfied-the-way-that-i-am-playing-is-obvious-that-there-is/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago? If not, things will not improve by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/are-you-better-off-than-you-were-one-year-ago-one-month-ago-or-one/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [There is a lot of things to improve in my touch game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aryna-sabalenka/there-is-a-lot-of-things-to-improve-in-my-touch-game/) [Aryna Sabalenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aryna-sabalenka/) > [Simeone says these things and they aren't negative things about me, they are things to improve. This is what he thinks, so I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-felix/simeone-says-these-things-and-they-aren-t-negative-things-about-me/) [Joao Felix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-felix/) > [There's definitely going to be things that I'm not very good at, things I can improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/there-s-definitely-going-to-be-things-that-i-m-not-very-good-at/) [Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/) > [There's always things to improve, you can't be satisfied with what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-van-dijk/there-s-always-things-to-improve-you-can-t-be-satisfied-with-what-you/) [Virgil van Dijk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-van-dijk/) > [For things to change, YOU have to change. For things to get better, YOU have to get better. For things to improve, YOU have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/for-things-to-change-you-have-to-change-for-things-to-get-better-you/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [There's a lot of things I can improve on, off the court and on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luka-doncic/there-s-a-lot-of-things-i-can-improve-on-off-the-court-and-on-the/) [Luka Doncic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luka-doncic/) > [England's good for me: there's a thousand things to improve, but I fit. I'm happy and I'd really like Arsenal to use the purchase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-mari/england-s-good-for-me-there-s-a-thousand-things-to-improve-but-i-fit/) [Pablo Mari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-mari/) > [In time you'll look back and realize some relationships weren't meant to be. Once you accept your new life, and freedom things will improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/in-time-you-ll-look-back-and-realize-some-relationships-weren-t-meant/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Some things you can improve, some things you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-rahm/some-things-you-can-improve-some-things-you-can-t/) [Jon Rahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-rahm/) > [I am pretty happy. But there are so many things I have to still improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ivanovic/i-am-pretty-happy-but-there-are-so-many-things-i-have-to-still-improve/) [Ana Ivanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ivanovic/) > [You have to be a student of the game to be successful, and it's promising when you can say that, with a world-record performance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-bowe/you-have-to-be-a-student-of-the-game-to-be-successful-and-it-s/) [Brittany Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-bowe/) ## More by Bret Weinstein > [On a college campus, people should be equally free to be on campus, irrespective of their skin color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/on-a-college-campus-people-should-be-equally-free-to-be-on-campus/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Evergreen is arguably the most radical college in the country - and while it does lean far to the left in a political sense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/evergreen-is-arguably-the-most-radical-college-in-the-country-and/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Day of Absence is a tradition at Evergreen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/day-of-absence-is-a-tradition-at-evergreen/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [There was a time when the term liberal had been so thoroughly demonized by those on the right that I remember consciously choosing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/there-was-a-time-when-the-term-liberal-had-been-so-thoroughly/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [The button-down empirical and deductive fields, including all the hard sciences, have lived side by side with 'critical theory,' postmodernism and its perception-based relatives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/the-button-down-empirical-and-deductive-fields-including-all-the-hard/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [It is fair to say that the political duopoly we are forced to accept creates a set of problems that threaten the survival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/it-is-fair-to-say-that-the-political-duopoly-we-are-forced-to-accept/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Terrorism is a tactic in which the primary objective is to produce fear, rather than direct harm. Terrorist attacks are, first and foremost, psychological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/terrorism-is-a-tactic-in-which-the-primary-objective-is-to-produce/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [What we do have is a system in which power tends to be awarded to people on the basis that they are corruptible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/what-we-do-have-is-a-system-in-which-power-tends-to-be-awarded-to/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [To women, Americans of color, and the citizens of the world, Donald Trump, if he is taken at his word, represents a threat to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/to-women-americans-of-color-and-the-citizens-of-the-world-donald/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [The idea that we should prioritize a racial viewpoint on, who knows, maybe even organic chemistry, over somebody who is adept at understanding how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/the-idea-that-we-should-prioritize-a-racial-viewpoint-on-who-knows/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [I hear many people talking as if the terms liberal, progressive and leftist refer to different factions, and that one might partner with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/i-hear-many-people-talking-as-if-the-terms-liberal-progressive-and/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [For many reasons, the natural thing is for Americans to unify under some banner in order to regain power over the policymaking structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/for-many-reasons-the-natural-thing-is-for-americans-to-unify-under/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Conservatives tend to be very skeptical of change. When something could be improved, they often get in the way of those improvements because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/conservatives-tend-to-be-very-skeptical-of-change-when-something/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Terrorists do not engage in terror attacks because they are strong. They engage in these attacks because they are weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/terrorists-do-not-engage-in-terror-attacks-because-they-are-strong/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [When I talk about 'apolitical' or 'nonpartisan' change, I mean first and foremost exploring root causes with due seriousness and at least agreeing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/when-i-talk-about-apolitical-or-nonpartisan-change-i-mean-first-and/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) [Explore all 36 Bret Weinstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) ## 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": "If one's desire for change is an earnest desire to see things improve, then surely there is a state in which things have been improved to the point where you would hope to conserve a structure rather than alter it. 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