---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A movement happens when people are…"
description: "\"A movement happens when people are inspired by somebody, but they do it themselves. You don't wait for someone else. You do it yourself.\" — Gloria Steinem"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc5/gloria-steinem-277_do-it-yourself_a-movement-happens-when-people-are-inspi_2526009.jpg"
---

#  A movement happens when people are inspired by somebody…

![“A movement happens when people are inspired by somebody, but they do it themselves. You don't wait for someone else. You do it yourself.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc5/gloria-steinem-277_do-it-yourself_a-movement-happens-when-people-are-inspi_2526009.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc5/gloria-steinem-277_do-it-yourself_a-movement-happens-when-people-are-inspi_2526009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc5/gloria-steinem-277_do-it-yourself_a-movement-happens-when-people-are-inspi_2526009.jpg)

> “A movement happens when people are inspired by somebody, but they do it themselves. You don't wait for someone else. You do it yourself.”

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Change arises when individuals feel inspired and take personal initiative rather than waiting for others.

**In simple terms:** People act on inspiration themselves.

Key Takeaway

Take initiative, don’t wait.

Themes

activism empowerment self‑reliance

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- community organizing
- social campaigns
- grassroots movements

Key Concepts

inspiration agency collective action

Questions to Reflect On

- What inspires you to act?
- How can you motivate others to act independently?

A Different Perspective

Success depends on sustained personal effort beyond initial inspiration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Do it yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-it-yourself/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

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[Greg Behrendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-behrendt/)

> [I just hope that our fans are people who are inspired by music, and just use our music as a background or inspiration for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-just-hope-that-our-fans-are-people-who-are-inspired-by-music-and/)

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> [People can be inspired the way I've been inspired by music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/people-can-be-inspired-the-way-i-ve-been-inspired-by-music/)

[Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/)

> [Various different people have inspired me throughout my career. From Francis Bacon to Vassareli, Coco Chanel to Christian Dior, Cecil Beaton, musicians, architects... the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-van-noten/various-different-people-have-inspired-me-throughout-my-career-from/)

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> [I don't see the people who I'm inspired by doing the same jobs I'm doing or getting the same support. It's upsetting. Where are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/i-don-t-see-the-people-who-i-m-inspired-by-doing-the-same-jobs-i-m/)

[Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/)

> [“Every company, organization or group with the ability to inspire starts with a person or small group of people who were inspired to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/every-company-organization-or-group-with-the-ability-to-inspire/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

> [Hire people inspired to achieve something big over people who demand something big before they feel inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/hire-people-inspired-to-achieve-something-big-over-people-who-demand/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

> [I think the artist's job throughout history has been to tell - to say things that people are inspired by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-think-the-artist-s-job-throughout-history-has-been-to-tell-to-say/)

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> [That's always been a dream for me, to be able to collaborate and make music with the people that inspired you to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/that-s-always-been-a-dream-for-me-to-be-able-to-collaborate-and-make/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

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[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

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[Ida B. Wells-Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells-barnett/)

## More by Gloria Steinem

> [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

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[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/)

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> [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

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[Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

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> [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/)

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> [Buy less, choose well &amp; do it yourself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/buy-less-choose-well-do-it-yourself/)

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[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

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Peter Laughner

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> [We've always been do-it-yourself. In that we've had complete control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-woodward/we-ve-always-been-do-it-yourself-in-that-we-ve-had-complete-control/)

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