--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What you don't do can be a destructive…" description: "\"What you don't do can be a destructive force.\" — Eleanor Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg" --- # What you don't do can be a destructive force. ![“What you don't do can be a destructive force.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg) > “What you don't do can be a destructive force.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inaction can cause harm as much as harmful actions, highlighting the power of omission. **In simple terms:** Not doing something can be damaging. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of your inactions. Themes responsibility consequences agency Mood reflective cautionary Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - policy decisions - personal relationships - environmental stewardship Key Concepts ethical duty psychology of omission Questions to Reflect On - What could you have done differently? - How do you prioritize actions? A Different Perspective Neglect may be justified by lack of resources or awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destructive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive/) [Destructive Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive-force-297559/) [Don Destructive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-destructive-4521221/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) ## Related quotes > [Liberalism, socialism, whatever, it is such a corrupting, destructive thing. And I believe it's the most destructive force in the world today, outside of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/liberalism-socialism-whatever-it-is-such-a-corrupting-destructive/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Fear, he said, ran all of our lives. Fear, he said, after religion, was the most destructive force in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/fear-he-said-ran-all-of-our-lives-fear-he-said-after-religion-was-the/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [ \[U\]nless a woman is held, by man, safe within the bounds of belief, she becomes inevitably a destructive force. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/u-nless-a-woman-is-held-by-man-safe-within-the-bounds-of-belief-she/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [You know what the most destructive force in the universe is? Regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/you-know-what-the-most-destructive-force-in-the-universe-is-regret/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [“A blanket could be used as an inherently destructive force, if you can just get past the brick stage. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-as-an-inherently-destructive-force-if-you-can/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There emanates from superlatives a destructive force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/there-emanates-from-superlatives-a-destructive-force/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Cleverness without wisdom: the most destructive force on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/cleverness-without-wisdom-the-most-destructive-force-on-earth/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Hatred is the most destructive force on earth. It does the most damage to those who harbor it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nido-r-qubein/hatred-is-the-most-destructive-force-on-earth-it-does-the-most-damage/) [Nido R Qubein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nido-r-qubein/) > [Where is the indignation about the fact that the US and USSR have thirty thousand pounds of destructive force for every human being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/where-is-the-indignation-about-the-fact-that-the-us-and-ussr-have/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Psychiatry is probably the single most destructive force that has affected American Society within the last fifty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/psychiatry-is-probably-the-single-most-destructive-force-that-has/) [Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/) > [“Both the teardrop and the tempest are made of water, making it the most yielding and most destructive force on Earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-paul/both-the-teardrop-and-the-tempest-are-made-of-water-making-it-the/) [Fiona Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-paul/) > [I believe the desire for instant gratification is the most destructive force in the world today. It's time to grow up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-the-desire-for-instant-gratification-is-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nationalism can be a destructive force when it promotes intolerance and division. But it can also be a force for good, when it seeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/nationalism-can-be-a-destructive-force-when-it-promotes-intolerance/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) > [“The writer Richard Manning has argued that 'the most destructive force in the American West is its commanding views, because they foster the illusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-connors/the-writer-richard-manning-has-argued-that-the-most-destructive-force/) [Phillip Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-connors/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Destructive quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > ['The Hunger Games' takes place in Panem, a country which is part of America. It's post-apocalyptic. There's been a global war. The Panem country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-hemsworth/the-hunger-games-takes-place-in-panem-a-country-which-is-part-of/) [Liam Hemsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-hemsworth/) > [People project a grey energy that is very destructive to weaken you, to drain you - just as the snake uses position to capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-project-a-grey-energy-that-is-very-destructive-to-weaken-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Slander does to a soul what cancer does to a cell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/slander-does-to-a-soul-what-cancer-does-to-a-cell/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Information from destructive activities going back a hundred years right up until today is being incorporated into the system. And as that happens the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/information-from-destructive-activities-going-back-a-hundred-years/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [Early on in my life, I had a broken soul. I was abused by my father, abandoned by my mother and ended up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/early-on-in-my-life-i-had-a-broken-soul-i-was-abused-by-my-father/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/one-of-the-most-destructive-mistakes-we-christians-make-is-to/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [I think that, honestly, people's censorship issues are personal but I disagree with most of those personal choices that I see others make. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-think-that-honestly-people-s-censorship-issues-are-personal-but-i/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [Liberalism's fatal flaw,... is that it has no permanent norms, only a succession of enthusiasms espoused by minor prophets. Each of these seems like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/liberalism-s-fatal-flaw-is-that-it-has-no-permanent-norms-only-a/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [A label is a soul-tattoo that is ingrained deep in our hearts, so much so that it determines how we see ourselves, And how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derwin-l-gray/a-label-is-a-soul-tattoo-that-is-ingrained-deep-in-our-hearts-so-much/) [Derwin L. Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derwin-l-gray/) > [Downsizing itself is an inevitable part of any creatively destructive economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/downsizing-itself-is-an-inevitable-part-of-any-creatively-destructive/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [I still have highs and lows, just like any other person. What's missing is the lack of control over the super highs, which became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-duke/i-still-have-highs-and-lows-just-like-any-other-person-what-s-missing/) [Patty Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-duke/) > [I don't think there's any harm at all in allowing a kid to fantasize. In fact, I think to stop people from fantasizing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-harm-at-all-in-allowing-a-kid-to-fantasize/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) [Browse all 1,057 Destructive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What you don't do can be a destructive force.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-force/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destructive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-force/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/eleanor-roosevelt-381_destructive_what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-f_2150788.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What you don't do can be a destructive force.” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What you don't do can be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-force/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-you-don-t-do-can-be-a-destructive-force/#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 } } ] } ```