---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suppose the important thing is to make…"
description: "\"“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference. You know, actually change something.”\" — David Nicholls"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png"
---

#  I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of…

![“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference. You know, actually change something.” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png)

> ““I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference. You know, actually change something.””

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote stresses that making any positive impact, however small, is valuable and the goal is to effect change.

**In simple terms:** Doing something to help matters.

Key Takeaway

Aim to create any positive change you can.

Themes

purpose action social impact personal growth

Mood

inspirational motivational

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- volunteering
- community projects
- small acts of kindness
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

activism meaningfulness initiative

Questions to Reflect On

- What small change can you start today?
- How do you measure meaningful impact?

A Different Perspective

Impact may be limited without sustained effort or resources.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actually Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually-change-565988/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-thing/) [Suppose Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppose-important-5228731/)

## Related quotes

> [I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference,’ she said. ‘You know, actually change something.’ ‘What, like “change the world”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-she/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [You think I live in the past. You don't understand that I actually change with every era, I always have as best I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/you-think-i-live-in-the-past-you-don-t-understand-that-i-actually/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [It’s funny how life can change so much but still nothing changes at all. Or maybe it’s that life changes, but you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/it-s-funny-how-life-can-change-so-much-but-still-nothing-changes-at/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [The thing is, some girls think they can actually change guys. And what’s funny is that if they actually did change them, they’d get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/the-thing-is-some-girls-think-they-can-actually-change-guys-and-what/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [Wearing the right thing, at the right moment, could actually change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-tree/wearing-the-right-thing-at-the-right-moment-could-actually-change/)

[Penelope Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-tree/)

> [“Don't worry about things you can't change, because at the end you miss the opportunity to change things you can actually change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mcfai/don-t-worry-about-things-you-can-t-change-because-at-the-end-you-miss/)

[McFAI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mcfai/)

> [They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/they-always-say-time-changes-things-but-you-actually-have-to-change/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [I have learned that sometimes sorry is not enough. Sometimes you actually have to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-learned-that-sometimes-sorry-is-not-enough-sometimes-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Few of us can actually change the world. We can only change ourselves. But if enough people took that to heart, the world would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/few-of-us-can-actually-change-the-world-we-can-only-change-ourselves/)

[Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/)

> [“Peer pressure, in other words, is not only unpleasant, but can actually change your view of a problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/peer-pressure-in-other-words-is-not-only-unpleasant-but-can-actually/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [You're living in a fantasy to think that music can actually change something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kowalczyk/you-re-living-in-a-fantasy-to-think-that-music-can-actually-change/)

[Ed Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kowalczyk/)

> [I have learned that sometimes SORRY is not enough. You actually have to change yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-learned-that-sometimes-sorry-is-not-enough-you-actually-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If a man spends enough time in a library, he may actually change his mind. I have seen it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rosenblatt/if-a-man-spends-enough-time-in-a-library-he-may-actually-change-his/)

[Roger Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rosenblatt/)

> [“Don't keep your nation-changing thoughts to yourself. Else it won't actually change the nation. Impact!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nike-thaddeus/don-t-keep-your-nation-changing-thoughts-to-yourself-else-it-won-t/)

[Nike Thaddeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nike-thaddeus/)

## More by David Nicholls

> [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/good-god-the-elusive-thing-she-had-reached-a-turning-point-she-no/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [You've got to stop letting women slip drugs into your mouth, Dex, it's unhygienic. And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/what-if-it-rained-or-you-felt-a-bit-glandy-it-just-wasn-t-practical/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [Sometimes, when it is going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/sometimes-when-it-is-going-badly-she-wonders-if-what-she-believes-to/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [The city had defeated her, just like they said it would. Like some overcrowded party, no one had noticed her arrival, and would notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-city-had-defeated-her-just-like-they-said-it-would-like-some/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

[Explore all 332 David Nicholls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference. You know, actually change something.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Nicholls"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/david-nicholls-873_change_i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make_2265322.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference. You know, actually change something.” — David Nicholls",
                "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": "David Nicholls",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I suppose the important thing is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-you/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
