--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could either watch it happen or be a…" description: "\"I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.\" — Elon Musk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg" --- # I could either watch it happen or be a part of it. ![“I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg) > “I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing to act versus merely observing determines whether one becomes a catalyst for change or remains passive. **In simple terms:** Act or watch; choose to be a catalyst. Key Takeaway Take initiative rather than stay passive. Themes agency action choice impact innovation Mood motivational assertive Type business philosophical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - social activism - personal development - team leadership Key Concepts personal agency decision making participation Questions to Reflect On - What opportunities are you watching versus shaping? - How can you move from observation to participation? A Different Perspective Action alone may not guarantee success without planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Watch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch/) [Watch Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-happen-419108/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) ## Related quotes > [“I made a vow all those years ago that nobody would die on my watch... Never will that happen again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-minton/i-made-a-vow-all-those-years-ago-that-nobody-would-die-on-my-watch/) [B. C. Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-minton/) > [“I know what it feels like to watch something happen and wish, going forward, that you could do something, anything, to change at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-know-what-it-feels-like-to-watch-something-happen-and-wish-going/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [Whenever you get to change somebody's life or watch it and see it happen, it's amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-fieri/whenever-you-get-to-change-somebody-s-life-or-watch-it-and-see-it/) [Guy Fieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-fieri/) > [There are three kinds of people. Those who make it happen. Those who watch it happen. And those who don't no what the heck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-three-kinds-of-people-those-who-make-it-happen-those-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No pressure. Just relax and watch it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ross/no-pressure-just-relax-and-watch-it-happen/) [Bob Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ross/) > [“There are three types of people in this world. Those who watch it happen, those who let it happen,and those who make it happen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-baldwin/there-are-three-types-of-people-in-this-world-those-who-watch-it/) [Greg Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-baldwin/) > [I had very good eyes once. Though it's another thing to say what I saw. In my experience, it is entirely possible to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-funder/i-had-very-good-eyes-once-though-it-s-another-thing-to-say-what-i-saw/) [Anna Funder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-funder/) > [“Instead of trying to watch it happen differently, why don't you try to not watch it at all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-buxbaum/instead-of-trying-to-watch-it-happen-differently-why-don-t-you-try-to/) [Julie Buxbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-buxbaum/) > [For the broadcast business to be successful, viewers need to be not merely interested in our political melodramas, they have to be in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/for-the-broadcast-business-to-be-successful-viewers-need-to-be-not/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [As an actor, you don't want to know the beginning and end to your character's arc. It makes it more fun. You're not playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/as-an-actor-you-don-t-want-to-know-the-beginning-and-end-to-your/) [Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/) > [That's the kind of TV I like to watch, where you just don't know what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-parisse/that-s-the-kind-of-tv-i-like-to-watch-where-you-just-don-t-know-what/) [Annie Parisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-parisse/) > [There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lasorda/there-are-three-kinds-of-people-in-this-world-people-who-make-it/) [Tommy Lasorda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lasorda/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think you should always bear in mind that entropy is not on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-you-should-always-bear-in-mind-that-entropy-is-not-on-your/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Happen quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [“More, much more, will happen after this. Things involving maps and books and true love and tragedy, tragedy like you wouldn't believe. But fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/more-much-more-will-happen-after-this-things-involving-maps-and-books/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“What would happen if you didn’t do the thing you “have to” do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brodie/what-would-happen-if-you-didn-t-do-the-thing-you-have-to-do/) [Richard Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brodie/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [“But if that was going to happen, it was going to happen whether or not he worried about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/but-if-that-was-going-to-happen-it-was-going-to-happen-whether-or-not/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [I'm an American, and always will be. I happen to love that big, awkward, sprawling country very much - and its big, awkward, sprawling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jones/i-m-an-american-and-always-will-be-i-happen-to-love-that-big-awkward/) [James Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jones/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I've been working with a holistic specialist, trying to bring my body into balance, and part of making that happen is putting my mom's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/i-ve-been-working-with-a-holistic-specialist-trying-to-bring-my-body/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/nothing-bad-can-happen-to-a-writer-everything-is-material/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [If you do what you're supposed to do, it will come to you - it will happen on its own. I don't count numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/if-you-do-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-it-will-come-to-you-it-will/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [“History mattered. But it could not guarantee what might happen next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-gable/history-mattered-but-it-could-not-guarantee-what-might-happen-next/) [Michelle Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-gable/) > [When I went to New York to try and make it, I never thought it wouldn't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/when-i-went-to-new-york-to-try-and-make-it-i-never-thought-it-wouldn/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [“Everything changes, sweetheart. The universe loves to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-olsen/everything-changes-sweetheart-the-universe-loves-to-happen/) [Lance Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-olsen/) [Browse all 2,776 Happen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elon Musk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/elon-musk-1138_happen_i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-p_206695.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.” — Elon Musk", "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": "Elon Musk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I could either watch it happen...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/#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 } } ] } ```