--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's very, very hard to affect culture…" description: "\"It's very, very hard to affect culture. And you can get surprised thinking you're farther down the path of change than you really are because, frankly,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/carol-bartz-18443_affect_it-s-very-very-hard-to-affect-culture-an_2194078.png" --- # It's very, very hard to affect culture. And you can get… ![“It's very, very hard to affect culture. And you can get surprised thinking you're farther down the path of change than you really are because, frankly, most of us like the way things are.” quote by Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/carol-bartz-18443_affect_it-s-very-very-hard-to-affect-culture-an_2194078.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/carol-bartz-18443_affect_it-s-very-very-hard-to-affect-culture-an_2194078.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/carol-bartz-18443_affect_it-s-very-very-hard-to-affect-culture-an_2194078.png) > “It's very, very hard to affect culture. And you can get surprised thinking you're farther down the path of change than you really are because, frankly, most of us like the way things are.” [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing culture is difficult because people prefer the familiar; we often overestimate progress while resisting new ideas. **In simple terms:** Culture change is hard and people resist. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions and seek honest feedback. Themes resistance change management human nature Mood cautious motivational Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - company restructuring - social movements - personal habits Key Concepts organizational behavior psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - What cultural habits are you clinging to? - How can you measure true progress? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind you to real obstacles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I want to affect culture. I want to have my mark on everything. I give examples of people like Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/i-want-to-affect-culture-i-want-to-have-my-mark-on-everything-i-give/) [Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/) > [When I moved from Canada to Korea, I experienced a massive culture shock. I wasn't familiar with Korean culture at all and was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-lau/when-i-moved-from-canada-to-korea-i-experienced-a-massive-culture/) [Henry Lau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-lau/) > [Many men absorbed in business show such a rare quality of culture that we are surprised at it. The reason invariably is partly because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-dimnet/many-men-absorbed-in-business-show-such-a-rare-quality-of-culture/) [Ernest Dimnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-dimnet/) > [I just wanna affect the culture and wanna be able to support young people with goals that aren't just limited to rapping and producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/i-just-wanna-affect-the-culture-and-wanna-be-able-to-support-young/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [I'm very aware of how much movies, literature and art affect culture. They are a reflection of the world around us and they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-m-very-aware-of-how-much-movies-literature-and-art-affect-culture/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [It's not necessarily a large number of people that affect the culture. You don't count the number of influential voices, you weigh them. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/it-s-not-necessarily-a-large-number-of-people-that-affect-the-culture/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [The only pressure I feel is how I can contribute to help my team win the match. Of course, there is always the pressure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-sharma/the-only-pressure-i-feel-is-how-i-can-contribute-to-help-my-team-win/) [Rohit Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-sharma/) > [I don't think I've had to change anything, really, apart from being more serious and focussed on my drive. One thing I've realised is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-don-t-think-i-ve-had-to-change-anything-really-apart-from-being/) [Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/) > [Sometimes you want to change everything, when all you really need to change is just the way you see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-you-want-to-change-everything-when-all-you-really-need-to/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [It's a complete life change when you really want to better yourself and completely change the patterns that you have had in the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/it-s-a-complete-life-change-when-you-really-want-to-better-yourself/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [It's the sustained ability to change that really counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/it-s-the-sustained-ability-to-change-that-really-counts/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [You can be a catalyst for change but change never really entirely happens just because of one guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-griffin-iii/you-can-be-a-catalyst-for-change-but-change-never-really-entirely/) [Robert Griffin III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-griffin-iii/) > [“lots of people wish for change, really, really want it, are willing to invest the time and money into it, but are ultimately not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-sincero/lots-of-people-wish-for-change-really-really-want-it-are-willing-to/) [Jen Sincero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-sincero/) > [Stop sticking around waiting for change, when all you really need to change is who you're with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-sticking-around-waiting-for-change-when-all-you-really-need-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be yourself, don't let people change who you really are, there's a reason you were made the way you are. Cherish that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-usher/be-yourself-don-t-let-people-change-who-you-really-are-there-s-a/) Taylor Usher ## More by Carol Bartz > [You need not feel guilty about not being able to keep your life perfectly balanced. Juggling everything is too difficult. All you really need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/you-need-not-feel-guilty-about-not-being-able-to-keep-your-life/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [If you think you can't, you're right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [Yahoo is a company that is very strong in content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/yahoo-is-a-company-that-is-very-strong-in-content/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I'm kind of a Midwestern snob. I think we're just nice people and have a great work ethic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-m-kind-of-a-midwestern-snob-i-think-we-re-just-nice-people-and-have/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The way you manage your company and the way you manage your people has to be totally different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-way-you-manage-your-company-and-the-way-you-manage-your-people/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I've just been fired over the phone by Yahoo's chairman of the board](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-ve-just-been-fired-over-the-phone-by-yahoo-s-chairman-of-the-board/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I always do my firing in the morning because that's when I'm fresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-always-do-my-firing-in-the-morning-because-that-s-when-i-m-fresh/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. I never thought I'd be where I am. I never thought I'd have bling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-grew-up-in-a-small-town-in-wisconsin-i-never-thought-i-d-be-where-i/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [Any leader needs to be constantly interested in what's going on in the world, and constantly ready - even when things are going well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/any-leader-needs-to-be-constantly-interested-in-what-s-going-on-in/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The fact that you can crawl the web is a commodity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-fact-that-you-can-crawl-the-web-is-a-commodity/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [My husband doesn't listen because his mother didn't make him listen. What am I going to do, beat him? I mean: firstborn of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/my-husband-doesn-t-listen-because-his-mother-didn-t-make-him-listen/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The most successful company in Silicon Valley is Apple, and they're the most secretive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-most-successful-company-in-silicon-valley-is-apple-and-they-re/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [It'll take a smart person with passion over someone with years of experience any day. People with intelligence and passion will get the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/it-ll-take-a-smart-person-with-passion-over-someone-with-years-of/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I like banks because they keep my money safe, but I don't want to talk about banks 12 times a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-like-banks-because-they-keep-my-money-safe-but-i-don-t-want-to-talk/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I became a sales manager at Digital Equipment, promoted from within the sales team. My peers were less than excited that I had gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-became-a-sales-manager-at-digital-equipment-promoted-from-within/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) [Explore all 35 Carol Bartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) ## More Affect quotes > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I almost always mess up. I fall too easily in love. I cry over boys. I'm not the prettiest girl you can find. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-almost-always-mess-up-i-fall-too-easily-in-love-i-cry-over-boys-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never let the opinion of another affect your opinion of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/never-let-the-opinion-of-another-affect-your-opinion-of-yourself/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [Everyone has those times when you feel like you don't fit in. Everyone struggles to a certain extent with being cool and popular, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-boldman/everyone-has-those-times-when-you-feel-like-you-don-t-fit-in-everyone/) [Spencer Boldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-boldman/) > [When you're not working, it does affect you. It destroys you if your film doesn't release.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoojit-sircar/when-you-re-not-working-it-does-affect-you-it-destroys-you-if-your/) [Shoojit Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoojit-sircar/) > [I want to say that our shows are safer-spaces shows. Don't push anyone or affect anyone's space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-want-to-say-that-our-shows-are-safer-spaces-shows-don-t-push-anyone/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [Geometric shapes hold an energy pattern, and scientists did some experiments which say certain geometric shapes can affect matter around them. It's simply because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/geometric-shapes-hold-an-energy-pattern-and-scientists-did-some/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [“I look up at the painting. It's not even that interesting. Definitely doesn't grab me and shake my brain around like the meadow scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-bachmann/i-look-up-at-the-painting-it-s-not-even-that-interesting-definitely/) [Stefan Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-bachmann/) > [We live our whole lives, and in our dying moment, we have to ask ourselves, 'What did we really care about? What impact did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/we-live-our-whole-lives-and-in-our-dying-moment-we-have-to-ask/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [It's sad to see that something you have done or the decisions that you have made affect your children in a negative way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/it-s-sad-to-see-that-something-you-have-done-or-the-decisions-that/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [Sometimes, you feel like, 'Am I going to be upset about this as a black person or as a woman first? Or am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-williams/sometimes-you-feel-like-am-i-going-to-be-upset-about-this-as-a-black/) [Jessica Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-williams/) > [Even the good things don't go to my head and I don't let the bad things affect me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo/even-the-good-things-don-t-go-to-my-head-and-i-don-t-let-the-bad/) [Marcelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo/) > [My job as a physician is to make sure I have provided my patients with the best options to make the decisions that affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-bera/my-job-as-a-physician-is-to-make-sure-i-have-provided-my-patients/) [Ami Bera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-bera/) > [Every day, all of us at Gannett are given the rare and sacred opportunity to affect change for the good in the communities we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracia-martore/every-day-all-of-us-at-gannett-are-given-the-rare-and-sacred/) [Gracia Martore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracia-martore/) Browse all 447 Affect quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's very, very hard to affect culture. 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