--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you ask why I do what I do - I want to…" description: "\"If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status quo. I want to help people, to work with institut..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/eli-broad-6856_ask_if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to_11390.jpg" --- # If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a… ![“If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status quo. I want to help people, to work with institutions or create ones when they don't exist.” quote by Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/eli-broad-6856_ask_if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to_11390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/eli-broad-6856_ask_if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to_11390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/eli-broad-6856_ask_if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to_11390.jpg) > “If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status quo. I want to help people, to work with institutions or create ones when they don't exist.” [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desire to effect positive change, not merely preserve existing conditions, by assisting individuals and building or reforming institutions. **In simple terms:** Motivation to create impact beyond maintaining the status quo. Key Takeaway Drive to improve lives through institutional action. Themes social impact leadership institution building purpose change Mood determined inspirational optimistic Type mission statement visionary declaration When to use this quote - nonprofit leadership - public policy reform - community development - startup creation - organizational transformation Key Concepts vision collaboration innovation Practical Applications - designing social programs - establishing new NGOs Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent you from challenging the status quo? - How can you measure the difference you make? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask/) [Ask Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-want-363779/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Maintain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maintain/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-a-difference/) [Make Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-difference-239741/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quo/) [Quo Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quo-want-368261/) [Status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-make-239289/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [If you were to ask me what I want to do - I don't want to be a celebrity, I want to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/if-you-were-to-ask-me-what-i-want-to-do-i-don-t-want-to-be-a/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/i-m-not-interested-in-preserving-the-status-quo-i-want-to-overthrow-it/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The hazing experience and then the subsequent participation in the group forces its members to maintain the status quo and traditions at all costs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/the-hazing-experience-and-then-the-subsequent-participation-in-the/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [The riskiest thing we can do is just maintain the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-iger/the-riskiest-thing-we-can-do-is-just-maintain-the-status-quo/) [Bob Iger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-iger/) > [My dad would always say, 'Girl, you've been given gifts. 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I want to add that if you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-said-that-if-you-want-to-change-the-world-take-pen-and-write-i/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I don't want to make money; I want to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-don-t-want-to-make-money-i-want-to-make-a-difference/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [I want to make a difference in the world. It's something I'm passionate about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-rountree-jr/i-want-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-it-s-something-i-m/) [Khalil Rountree Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-rountree-jr/) > [I'm trying to have everything that I put into the world be something that makes a difference in the way I want to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/i-m-trying-to-have-everything-that-i-put-into-the-world-be-something/) [David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/) > [I just want to make a difference. I want to make Chrysler the most profitable car company in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-marchionne/i-just-want-to-make-a-difference-i-want-to-make-chrysler-the-most/) [Sergio Marchionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-marchionne/) > [Health care is much the same - the status quo is, by all measures, failing far too many people - and we must not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/health-care-is-much-the-same-the-status-quo-is-by-all-measures/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [The status quo - Obamacare - is not acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-handel/the-status-quo-obamacare-is-not-acceptable/) [Karen Handel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-handel/) > [As women, we know that we must always find ways to change the process because the present institutions want to hold on to power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/as-women-we-know-that-we-must-always-find-ways-to-change-the-process/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [As the generalization goes about the art industry, people can be really challenging and thought-provoking in their thinking and questioning the status quo, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/as-the-generalization-goes-about-the-art-industry-people-can-be/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) ## More by Eli Broad > [Museums do not share their collections with other museums unless they get something in exchange. The Metropolitan will deal with the Louvre, but will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/museums-do-not-share-their-collections-with-other-museums-unless-they/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I believe that a newspaper is a great civic asset and that ownership is best in the hands of foundations or wealthy families that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/i-believe-that-a-newspaper-is-a-great-civic-asset-and-that-ownership/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [Collectors become obsessive and then addicted. You become addicted to art and you can't live without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/collectors-become-obsessive-and-then-addicted-you-become-addicted-to/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I've got a big ego, I admit it; I'm ego-driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/i-ve-got-a-big-ego-i-admit-it-i-m-ego-driven/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [It's critical that states improve how teachers are trained, recruited, evaluated, compensated, advanced, and retained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/it-s-critical-that-states-improve-how-teachers-are-trained-recruited/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn't even thought of - and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/the-best-move-you-can-make-in-negotiation-is-to-think-of-an-incentive/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [Artists rarely do the same thing over and over again. Art is about the new, doing things in a new way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/artists-rarely-do-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again-art-is-about-the/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [People would rather have art or gold instead of paper money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/people-would-rather-have-art-or-gold-instead-of-paper-money/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [School boards are, for the most part ,made up of political wannabes who see a board seat as a stepping stone for political office,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/school-boards-are-for-the-most-part-made-up-of-political-wannabes-who/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [In high school, I would drive my teachers batty. They would make a statement, and I would say, 'Why is that?' They didn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/in-high-school-i-would-drive-my-teachers-batty-they-would-make-a/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I don't like to spend time in endless meetings talking about stuff that isn't going to get anything done. I have meetings, but they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/i-don-t-like-to-spend-time-in-endless-meetings-talking-about-stuff/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [Who you spend your life with-much more so than how you choose to spend it-is the most important decision you can make. Do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/who-you-spend-your-life-with-much-more-so-than-how-you-choose-to/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [To me, unconventional thinking is approaching a problem and asking, 'Why not? Why can't something be done?' 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I ask to be judged on the issue of unemployment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/i-ask-to-be-judged-on-the-issue-of-unemployment/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [When the only people in mainstream discourse who care about the working class are Wall Street investors, it really is time to ask where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/when-the-only-people-in-mainstream-discourse-who-care-about-the/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I used to sit in front of McDonald's and ask people for dollars to get me a cheeseburger. It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) > [Every morning when I pick up the newspaper and read about an earthquake in Japan or problems in European financial institutions, the first question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-schapiro/every-morning-when-i-pick-up-the-newspaper-and-read-about-an/) [Mary Schapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-schapiro/) > [I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-follow-a-simple-formula-when-i-compose-i-ask-myself-what-would-the/) [A. R. 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