--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we would like to do is change the…" description: "\"“What we would like to do is change the world--make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/dorothy-day-1629_around-the-world_what-we-would-like-to-do-is-change-the-w_2535087.jpg" --- # What we would like to do is change the world--make it a… ![“What we would like to do is change the world--make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute--the rights of the…” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/dorothy-day-1629_around-the-world_what-we-would-like-to-do-is-change-the-w_2535087.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/dorothy-day-1629_around-the-world_what-we-would-like-to-do-is-change-the-w_2535087.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/dorothy-day-1629_around-the-world_what-we-would-like-to-do-is-change-the-w_2535087.jpg) > ““What we would like to do is change the world--make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute--the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor, in other words--we can, to a certain extent, change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.”” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates simple, compassionate living and activism to improve conditions for all, emphasizing love as the primary driver of change. **In simple terms:** Live simply, love others, act for justice. Key Takeaway Practice love and activism daily. Themes compassion activism justice simple living community Mood hopeful determined reflective Type inspirational philosophical activist When to use this quote - volunteering - community organizing - advocacy - daily kindness Key Concepts personalism social ethics Christian anarchism Questions to Reflect On - How can love translate into concrete change? - What simple actions can you take today? A Different Perspective Love alone may not solve systemic oppression without structural action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Joy And Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-and-peace/) [Neighbor love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor-love/) ## Related quotes > [What we would like to do is change the world - make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/what-we-would-like-to-do-is-change-the-world-make-it-a-little-simpler-2/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“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/) > [Nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nine-requisites-for-contented-living-health-enough-to-make-work-a/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Love your neighbor, yet pull not down your hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/love-your-neighbor-yet-pull-not-down-your-hedge/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The surest way to determine whether one possesses the love of God is to see whether he or she loves his or her neighbor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/the-surest-way-to-determine-whether-one-possesses-the-love-of-god-is/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [We lead our lives well when we love God with our whole being and when we love neighbors as we (properly) love ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/we-lead-our-lives-well-when-we-love-god-with-our-whole-being-and-when/) [Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/) > [Love thy neighbor is difficult. That's why everybody - wars, you know. It's the hardest. And it's the most important. And respect thy neighbor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/love-thy-neighbor-is-difficult-that-s-why-everybody-wars-you-know-it/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [“By depicting a Samaritan helping a Jew, Jesus could not have found a more forceful way to say that anyone at all in need—regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/by-depicting-a-samaritan-helping-a-jew-jesus-could-not-have-found-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Do I advise you to love thy neighbor? I suggest rather to escape from thy neighbor and to love those who are the farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/do-i-advise-you-to-love-thy-neighbor-i-suggest-rather-to-escape-from/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A just society is not one built on fear or repression or vengeance or exclusion, but one built on love. Love for our families.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/a-just-society-is-not-one-built-on-fear-or-repression-or-vengeance-or/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [If someone is capable of loving his partner without restrictions, unconditionally, then he is manifesting the love of God. If the love of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-someone-is-capable-of-loving-his-partner-without-restrictions/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Not everyone is your brother or sister in the faith, but everyone is your neighbor, and you must love your neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/not-everyone-is-your-brother-or-sister-in-the-faith-but-everyone-is/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Love of self without love of God is selfishness; love of neighbor without love of God embraces only those who are pleasing to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/love-of-self-without-love-of-god-is-selfishness-love-of-neighbor/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Around the world quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I look at what's happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-look-at-what-s-happening-around-the-world-and-i-see-iran-four-years/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-low-point-occurred-in-july-during-romney-s-junior-week-abroad-in/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. It's a way for people to connect all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/i-believe-there-definitely-are-good-things-about-social-networking-it/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [“Isn’t everyone on the planet or at least everyone on the planet called me stuck between the two impulses of wanting to walk away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/isn-t-everyone-on-the-planet-or-at-least-everyone-on-the-planet/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [You always can improve and I think that's the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/you-always-can-improve-and-i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-international/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Trump is reviled around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-is-reviled-around-the-world/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) [Browse all 3,349 Around the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What we would like to do is change the world--make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. 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