--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Development which has no regard for whom…" description: "\"Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms is not development. It is the opposite of progress, damaging the Earth's capacity to support ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png" --- # Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms… ![“Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms is not development. It is the opposite of progress, damaging the Earth's capacity to support us and the rest of its living systems” quote by George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png) > “Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms is not development. It is the opposite of progress, damaging the Earth's capacity to support us and the rest of its living systems” [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Development that harms people or the planet is not true progress; it degrades Earth’s capacity to sustain life. **In simple terms:** Harmful development is not progress; it damages ecosystems. Key Takeaway Prioritize sustainable, equitable development. Themes environment ethics development progress sustainability Mood concerned determined Type analytical call‑to‑action When to use this quote - urban planning - resource extraction - industrial projects Key Concepts ecology social justice policy economics Questions to Reflect On - How can we measure development without ecological cost? - What policies can balance growth and planetary health? A Different Perspective May conflict with short‑term economic goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [If pro is opposite of con, then what is the opposite of progress?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-pro-is-opposite-of-con-then-what-is-the-opposite-of-progress/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If 'pro' is the opposite of 'con' what is the opposite of 'progress'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harvey/if-pro-is-the-opposite-of-con-what-is-the-opposite-of-progress/) [Paul Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harvey/) > [“If "con" is the opposite of pro, then isn't Congress the opposite of progress? Or did we just fucking blow your mind?!?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/if-con-is-the-opposite-of-pro-then-isn-t-congress-the-opposite-of/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“If pro is the opposite of con, then what is the opposite of progress?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-kraus/if-pro-is-the-opposite-of-con-then-what-is-the-opposite-of-progress/) [Jim Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-kraus/) > [If the opposite of PRO is CON…iz the opposite of PROGRESS, CONGRESS.??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/if-the-opposite-of-pro-is-con-iz-the-opposite-of-progress-congress/) Author Name > [If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-any-man-has-done-wrong-the-harm-is-his-own-but-perhaps-he-has-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [I've never done anybody any harm in my entire life. No need to chase girls, I've thousands of them on Top Of The Pops,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-savile/i-ve-never-done-anybody-any-harm-in-my-entire-life-no-need-to-chase/) [Jimmy Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-savile/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) ## More by George Monbiot > [If we want to prevent both climate and ecological catastrophes, the key task is to minimise the amount of land we use to feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/if-we-want-to-prevent-both-climate-and-ecological-catastrophes-the/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [“The wealth creators of neoliberal mythology are some of the most effective wealth destroyers the world has ever seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/the-wealth-creators-of-neoliberal-mythology-are-some-of-the-most/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [The schedules are crammed with shows urging us to travel further, drive faster, build bigger, buy more, yet none of them are deemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/the-schedules-are-crammed-with-shows-urging-us-to-travel-further/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [The ideology of consumption is so prevalent that it has become invisible: it is the plastic soup in which we swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/the-ideology-of-consumption-is-so-prevalent-that-it-has-become/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [I might find myself standing, transfixed, by the roadside, watching a sparrowhawk hunting among the bushes, astonished that other people could ignore it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/i-might-find-myself-standing-transfixed-by-the-roadside-watching-a/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [Economic growth is the aggregate effect of the quest to accumulate capital and extract profit. Capitalism collapses without growth, yet perpetual growth on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/economic-growth-is-the-aggregate-effect-of-the-quest-to-accumulate/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [Even when political reporting is not reduced to personality, political photography is. An article might offer depth and complexity, but is illustrated with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/even-when-political-reporting-is-not-reduced-to-personality-political/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [Progress is measured by the speed at which we destroy the conditions that sustain life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/progress-is-measured-by-the-speed-at-which-we-destroy-the-conditions/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [We are often told we are materialistic. It seems to me, we are not materialistic enough. We have a disrespect for materials. We use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/we-are-often-told-we-are-materialistic-it-seems-to-me-we-are-not/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [People believe Loose Change because it proposes a closed world: comprehensible, controllable, small. Despite the great evil which runs it, it is more companionable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/people-believe-loose-change-because-it-proposes-a-closed-world/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [David Cameron's government criminalised squatting in empty homes. This too was previously a civil matter. Thousands of homeless people found themselves on the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/david-cameron-s-government-criminalised-squatting-in-empty-homes-this/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [If I could turn back the clock, magically deleting my prostate cancer, the surgery I needed and its complications, would I do so? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/if-i-could-turn-back-the-clock-magically-deleting-my-prostate-cancer/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [The grim truth is that the rich are able to live as they do only because others are poor: there is neither the physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/the-grim-truth-is-that-the-rich-are-able-to-live-as-they-do-only/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [Technological change is essential, but to a natural historian it often feels cold and distancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/technological-change-is-essential-but-to-a-natural-historian-it-often/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) > [Yes, the car is still useful - for a few people it's essential. It would make a good servant. But it has become our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/yes-the-car-is-still-useful-for-a-few-people-it-s-essential-it-would/) [George Monbiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) [Explore all 151 George Monbiot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/) ## More Capacity quotes > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [I was only operating at about 80% of my capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-was-only-operating-at-about-80-of-my-capacity/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/for-years-mental-health-professionals-taught-people-that-they-could/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,320 Capacity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms is not development. It is the opposite of progress, damaging the Earth's capacity to support us and the rest of its living systems", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Monbiot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom-or-what-it-harms-is-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capacity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom-or-what-it-harms-is-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/george-monbiot-2762_capacity_development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom_1797559.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Development which has no regard for whom or what it harms is not development. It is the opposite of…” — George Monbiot", "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": "George Monbiot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-monbiot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Development which has no regard for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom-or-what-it-harms-is-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-monbiot/development-which-has-no-regard-for-whom-or-what-it-harms-is-not/#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 } } ] } ```