--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For every person who can imagine a…" description: "\"For every person who can imagine a possibility there are tens of thousands who are stuck in the greased grooves of history.\" — Gary Hamel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png" --- # For every person who can imagine a possibility there are… ![“For every person who can imagine a possibility there are tens of thousands who are stuck in the greased grooves of history.” quote by Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png) > “For every person who can imagine a possibility there are tens of thousands who are stuck in the greased grooves of history.” [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagination fuels change, but most people remain trapped by entrenched habits and historical inertia. **In simple terms:** Ideas spark change, but many stay stuck in old patterns. Key Takeaway Cultivate imagination to break historical habits. Themes creativity change history Mood inspirational critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business strategy - education reform - personal growth - civic activism Key Concepts innovation social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can we translate imagination into concrete action? - What systems keep people in “greased grooves”? A Different Perspective Imagination alone may not overcome structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Groove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groove/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-possibility-5532555/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Possibility Tens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-tens-5532556/) [Stuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuck/) [Tens Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tens-thousands-317533/) [Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousands/) [Thousands Stuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousands-stuck-5532554/) ## Related quotes > [“What if at the last moment, when the banquet table is set and the cymbals clash, there should appear suddenly, and wholly without warning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/what-if-at-the-last-moment-when-the-banquet-table-is-set-and-the/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“you are my joy. You are worth tens of thousands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/you-are-my-joy-you-are-worth-tens-of-thousands/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [I've created tens of thousands of jobs over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-created-tens-of-thousands-of-jobs-over-the-years/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I have filleted tens of thousands of perch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-rinella/i-have-filleted-tens-of-thousands-of-perch/) [Steven Rinella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-rinella/) > [I have to live with what I say, or don't say, tens of thousands of times a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-have-to-live-with-what-i-say-or-don-t-say-tens-of-thousands-of/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [If you're making entertainment on a grand scale, if you're reaching millions, there will be tens of thousands of people who absolutely hate us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pitchford/if-you-re-making-entertainment-on-a-grand-scale-if-you-re-reaching/) [Randy Pitchford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pitchford/) > [There are literally tens of thousands of people who create regular content on the web and have millions of followers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/there-are-literally-tens-of-thousands-of-people-who-create-regular/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [We're continuing to work to bring immigration down to the tens of thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/we-re-continuing-to-work-to-bring-immigration-down-to-the-tens-of/) [Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/) > [There will be a new industry, and we are just now in the beginning. I will predict that in twelve or fifteen years there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-rutan/there-will-be-a-new-industry-and-we-are-just-now-in-the-beginning-i/) [Burt Rutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-rutan/) > [How can it be, in a country as strong and rich as this one, that tens of thousands of Americans who need legal representation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-wyden/how-can-it-be-in-a-country-as-strong-and-rich-as-this-one-that-tens/) [Ron Wyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-wyden/) > [Tens of thousands of men and women with kids to raise, bills to pay, and dreams that won't die. This is your campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/tens-of-thousands-of-men-and-women-with-kids-to-raise-bills-to-pay/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Politics has slain its thousands, but religion has slain its tens of thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-o-casey/politics-has-slain-its-thousands-but-religion-has-slain-its-tens-of/) [Sean O'Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-o-casey/) > [In truth, ending DACA will cost us tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raja-krishnamoorthi/in-truth-ending-daca-will-cost-us-tens-of-thousands-of-jobs-and/) [Raja Krishnamoorthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raja-krishnamoorthi/) > [Tens of billions ... are going into the pockets of tens of thousands of tax preparers who ... love complexity as much as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/tens-of-billions-are-going-into-the-pockets-of-tens-of-thousands-of/) [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) > [Even as I experience the low of ending my military career, I have also experienced the loving support of tens of thousands of Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-vindman/even-as-i-experience-the-low-of-ending-my-military-career-i-have-also/) [Alexander Vindman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-vindman/) ## More by Gary Hamel > [As human beings, we are the only organisms that create for the sheer stupid pleasure of doing so. Whether it's laying out a garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/as-human-beings-we-are-the-only-organisms-that-create-for-the-sheer/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Obviously, you don't have to be religious to be moral, and beastly people are sometimes religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/obviously-you-don-t-have-to-be-religious-to-be-moral-and-beastly/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Most of us do more than subsist. From the vantage point of our ancestors, we live lives of almost unimaginable ease. Here again, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/most-of-us-do-more-than-subsist-from-the-vantage-point-of-our/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [We've reached the end of incrementalism. Only those companies that are capable of creating industry revolutions will prosper in the new economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/we-ve-reached-the-end-of-incrementalism-only-those-companies-that-are/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [One way of building private foresight out of public data is looking where others aren't ... if you want to see the future, go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/one-way-of-building-private-foresight-out-of-public-data-is-looking/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [The fact is, society is made more hospitable by every individual who acts as if 'do unto others' really was a rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/the-fact-is-society-is-made-more-hospitable-by-every-individual-who/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Truth be told, there are lots of companies that provide exemplary phone support. DirecTV, Virgin America and Apple are a few that regularly exceed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/truth-be-told-there-are-lots-of-companies-that-provide-exemplary/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [The real damper on employee engagement is the soggy, cold blanket of centralized authority. In most companies, power cascades downwards from the CEO. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/the-real-damper-on-employee-engagement-is-the-soggy-cold-blanket-of/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [The problem with the future is that it is different, if you are unable to think differently, the future will always arrive as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/the-problem-with-the-future-is-that-it-is-different-if-you-are-unable/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [An adaptable company is one that captures more than its fair share of new opportunities. It's always redefining its 'core business' in ways that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/an-adaptable-company-is-one-that-captures-more-than-its-fair-share-of/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [people are all there is to an organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/people-are-all-there-is-to-an-organization/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [To be embraced, a change effort must be socially constructed in a process that gives everyone the right to set priorities, diagnose barriers ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/to-be-embraced-a-change-effort-must-be-socially-constructed-in-a/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [I'm not one of those professors whose office is encased floor-to-ceiling with books. By the way, I think academics do this to intimidate their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/i-m-not-one-of-those-professors-whose-office-is-encased-floor-to/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [In a democracy, you don't need anyone's permission to form a new political party, publish a politically charged article, or organize a 'tea party.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/in-a-democracy-you-don-t-need-anyone-s-permission-to-form-a-new/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Our biggest challenge is how to create a self-renewing company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/our-biggest-challenge-is-how-to-create-a-self-renewing-company/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) [Explore all 121 Gary Hamel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) ## More Groove quotes > [ I'd much prefer to hear somebody like Ed Thigpen \[drummer with New York session group Stuff, and featured on innumerable hits\] take a solo.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-much-prefer-to-hear-somebody-like-ed-thigpen-drummer-with-new/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I'm 64 years old and, yeah, I went through a transition in my life last year, with the death of my son, that woke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/i-m-64-years-old-and-yeah-i-went-through-a-transition-in-my-life-last/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) > [There are so many artists who get to my age that get comfortable and just stick in a groove, and I really don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/there-are-so-many-artists-who-get-to-my-age-that-get-comfortable-and/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [That's the best way to feed the human mind. That's how Bob Marley did it. He never put it in your face. After you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/that-s-the-best-way-to-feed-the-human-mind-that-s-how-bob-marley-did/) [Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/) > [The Meters are, I think, the most influential group in our time to come out of New Orleans, to have changed and introduced us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scofield/the-meters-are-i-think-the-most-influential-group-in-our-time-to-come/) [John Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scofield/) > [“Never lose the groove in order to find a note.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-l-wooten/never-lose-the-groove-in-order-to-find-a-note/) [Victor L. Wooten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-l-wooten/) > [I'm a firm believer that embracing the imperfections of making music is so much of what makes something groove. Getting rid of these imperfections…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-m-a-firm-believer-that-embracing-the-imperfections-of-making-music/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [There are writers' rooms that will write episodes all together, who will break into little groups and write certain scenes. Everyone's process can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rash/there-are-writers-rooms-that-will-write-episodes-all-together-who/) [Jim Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rash/) > [In certain ways I still feel like I'm finding my way. I feel pretty comfortable playing acoustic guitar and singing, but then I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/in-certain-ways-i-still-feel-like-i-m-finding-my-way-i-feel-pretty/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [It's fun to work with family when you find that perfect groove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-brown/it-s-fun-to-work-with-family-when-you-find-that-perfect-groove/) [Quincy Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-brown/) > [When you're sixteen and struggling to forge an identity out of a morass of hormones and daydreams, remarks like that cut a deep groove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-christensen/when-you-re-sixteen-and-struggling-to-forge-an-identity-out-of-a/) [Kate Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-christensen/) > [You have a natural groove inside of you, but the more you practise, the more comfortable you will be with your instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-paul/you-have-a-natural-groove-inside-of-you-but-the-more-you-practise-the/) [Vinnie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-paul/) > [I talk very slow. I move very slow. I definitely have that Southern drawl and although I never necessarily participated in the activities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-knowles/i-talk-very-slow-i-move-very-slow-i-definitely-have-that-southern/) [Solange Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-knowles/) > [I'm so happy now. I love that I'm in a relationship right now... I want a life... The past five years or so I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-clarkson/i-m-so-happy-now-i-love-that-i-m-in-a-relationship-right-now-i-want-a/) [Kelly Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-clarkson/) > [Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/your-thoughts-construct-patterns-like-scaffolding-in-your-mind-you/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Browse all 249 Groove quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groove/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For every person who can imagine a possibility there are tens of thousands who are stuck in the greased grooves of history.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Hamel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possibility-there-are-tens-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Groove" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possibility-there-are-tens-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/gary-hamel-3793_groove_for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possi_2318298.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For every person who can imagine a possibility there are tens of thousands who are stuck in the greased…” — Gary Hamel", "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": "Gary Hamel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For every person who can imagine...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possibility-there-are-tens-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/for-every-person-who-can-imagine-a-possibility-there-are-tens-of/#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 } } ] } ```