--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're changing ourselves to fit the world…" description: "\"We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of changing the world to fit women.\" — Gloria Steinem" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg" --- # We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of… ![“We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of changing the world to fit women.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg) > “We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of changing the world to fit women.” [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. The quote urges women to reshape societal structures rather than conforming to existing norms that marginalize them. **In simple terms:** Advocacy for systemic change Key Takeaway Transform the world, not yourself Themes gender equality social activism empowerment feminism structural change Mood determined inspirational assertive Type call to action philosophical political When to use this quote - workplace policies - political legislation - media representation - educational curricula Key Concepts patriarchy social norms agency collective action Practical Applications - policy reform - community organizing Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent women from influencing systemic change? - How can individuals balance personal adaptation with collective activism? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Changing World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-world/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Strong women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-women/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [If we behave like those on the other side, then we are the other side. Instead of changing the world, all we'll achieve is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/if-we-behave-like-those-on-the-other-side-then-we-are-the-other-side/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [Don't think about making women fit the world -- think about making the world fit women."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/don-t-think-about-making-women-fit-the-world-think-about-making-the/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Don’t judge yourself by others’ standards…have your own. And don’t get caught up into the trap of changing yourself to fit the world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berry-gordy/don-t-judge-yourself-by-others-standards-have-your-own-and-don-t-get/) [Berry Gordy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berry-gordy/) > [I am not interested in changing who I am to fit someone else's idea of what a category should be or look like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-brown/i-am-not-interested-in-changing-who-i-am-to-fit-someone-else-s-idea/) [Kane Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-brown/) > [The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. Instead of changing their views to fit the facts, they try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-very-powerful-and-the-very-stupid-have-one-thing-in-common/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Why would you want to fit in with women who find it amusing to belittle everybody who isn’t them? Why would you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-parker/why-would-you-want-to-fit-in-with-women-who-find-it-amusing-to/) [M.S. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-parker/) > [Most women want the perfect body. Fit women work for it and the rest wish for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-women-want-the-perfect-body-fit-women-work-for-it-and-the-rest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You may not be able to change the world, but when you change your world, you have taken a major step in changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-may-not-be-able-to-change-the-world-but-when-you-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Well in the scientific there is virtually no debate over certain things. For example, that we are changing the world. Humans are changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/well-in-the-scientific-there-is-virtually-no-debate-over-certain/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [Social media is changing the world, and we're all here whitnessing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/social-media-is-changing-the-world-and-we-re-all-here-whitnessing-it/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [When I was younger, I had big visions of changing the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-danko/when-i-was-younger-i-had-big-visions-of-changing-the-world/) [Rick Danko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-danko/) > [I don't want to look up and think, 'Wow, I had a moment to really be a part of changing the world, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-browning/i-don-t-want-to-look-up-and-think-wow-i-had-a-moment-to-really-be-a/) [Logan Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-browning/) > [“As for me, all I’ve ever wanted, when you get right down to it, is to change the world. I don’t literally mean the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-gaines/as-for-me-all-i-ve-ever-wanted-when-you-get-right-down-to-it-is-to/) [Chip Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-gaines/) > [Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/progress-should-mean-that-we-are-always-changing-the-world-to-fit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think different societies, cultures, individuals, teams of people, make the world a better place. The founding fathers, they made New England, they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-wexner/i-think-different-societies-cultures-individuals-teams-of-people-make/) [Les Wexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-wexner/) ## 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/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [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/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [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/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of changing the world to fit women.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gloria Steinem" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-world-instead-of-changing-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-world-instead-of-changing-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/gloria-steinem-277_change_we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-worl_85578.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're changing ourselves to fit the world instead of changing the world to fit women.” — Gloria Steinem", "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": "Gloria Steinem", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're changing ourselves to fit the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-world-instead-of-changing-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-re-changing-ourselves-to-fit-the-world-instead-of-changing-the/#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 } } ] } ```