--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think most people can do a whole lot…" description: "\"I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just try.\" — Gordon Parks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg" --- # I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just… ![“I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just try.” quote by Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg) > “I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just try.” [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often achieve more when they make an effort rather than staying passive. **In simple terms:** Effort unlocks potential. Key Takeaway Try more, achieve more. Themes motivation potential effort Mood encouraging optimistic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - personal goals - career advancement - learning new skills Key Concepts self-efficacy growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What effort could you increase today? - How does trying change your confidence? A Different Perspective Success still depends on skill, resources, and opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Just Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-try/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-lot/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [I think people who go through a lot, they're aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervonta-davis/i-think-people-who-go-through-a-lot-they-re-aggressive/) [Gervonta Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervonta-davis/) > [I just try to keep getting better every day, and that's all I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-lawler/i-just-try-to-keep-getting-better-every-day-and-that-s-all-i-can-do/) [Robbie Lawler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-lawler/) > [Me, as a person, I don't really open myself up to people a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-bagley-iii/me-as-a-person-i-don-t-really-open-myself-up-to-people-a-lot/) [Marvin Bagley III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-bagley-iii/) > [There are other people who have it a lot worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/there-are-other-people-who-have-it-a-lot-worse/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Sometimes quiet people have a lot to say, but they just don't open up to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/sometimes-quiet-people-have-a-lot-to-say-but-they-just-don-t-open-up/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [A lot of people have a lot of things going on in their life. You'll be walking past ten people in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sage-northcutt/a-lot-of-people-have-a-lot-of-things-going-on-in-their-life-you-ll-be/) [Sage Northcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sage-northcutt/) > [People are a lot less weird than they might seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/people-are-a-lot-less-weird-than-they-might-seem/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [It's a false assumption that people with a lot of money have a lot of free time to shop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-massenet/it-s-a-false-assumption-that-people-with-a-lot-of-money-have-a-lot-of/) [Natalie Massenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-massenet/) > [A lot of people have a lot to say when you're doing well and when you're not doing so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/a-lot-of-people-have-a-lot-to-say-when-you-re-doing-well-and-when-you/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [We, as black people, we have a lot of crooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/we-as-black-people-we-have-a-lot-of-crooks/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [There are a lot of people who do a lot of things to be outrageous with fashion, hair or makeup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-do-a-lot-of-things-to-be-outrageous/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [People have a lot on their plate so either leave them a smile or leave them alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-penney/people-have-a-lot-on-their-plate-so-either-leave-them-a-smile-or/) [Keith Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-penney/) > [Many, many people have done a lot more sexual experimentation than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/many-many-people-have-done-a-lot-more-sexual-experimentation-than-i/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [There's a lot of people with a lot more problems than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-danis/there-s-a-lot-of-people-with-a-lot-more-problems-than-me/) [Dillon Danis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-danis/) > [“So it is that in our world hopes are thwarted at every turn and the people's lot is always pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royall-tyler/so-it-is-that-in-our-world-hopes-are-thwarted-at-every-turn-and-the/) [Royall Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royall-tyler/) ## More by Gordon Parks > [You know, the camera is not meant just to show misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/you-know-the-camera-is-not-meant-just-to-show-misery/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [The camera could be a very powerful instrument against discrimination, against poverty, against racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/the-camera-could-be-a-very-powerful-instrument-against-discrimination/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I bought my first camera in Seattle, Washington. Only paid about seven dollars and fifty cents for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-bought-my-first-camera-in-seattle-washington-only-paid-about-seven/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [But I do feel a little teeny right now that I'm just about ready to start, and winter is entering. Half past autumn has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/but-i-do-feel-a-little-teeny-right-now-that-i-m-just-about-ready-to/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I was born to a black childhood of confusion and poverty. The memory of that beginning influences my work today, It is impossible now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-was-born-to-a-black-childhood-of-confusion-and-poverty-the-memory/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I had known poverty firsthand, but there I learned how to fight its evil - along with the evil of racism - with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-had-known-poverty-firsthand-but-there-i-learned-how-to-fight-its/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [Many times I wondered whether my achievement was worth the loneliness I experienced, but now I realize the price was small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/many-times-i-wondered-whether-my-achievement-was-worth-the-loneliness/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I do find a certain fascination with the unpredictable. The transitory years we wade through are what they are- what we make of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-do-find-a-certain-fascination-with-the-unpredictable-the-transitory/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [At first I wasn't sure that I had the talent, but I did know I had a fear of failure, and that fear compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/at-first-i-wasn-t-sure-that-i-had-the-talent-but-i-did-know-i-had-a/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [The man at Kodak told me the shots were very good and if I kept it up, they would give me an exhibition. Later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/the-man-at-kodak-told-me-the-shots-were-very-good-and-if-i-kept-it-up/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [Nothing came easy. I was just born with a need to explore every part of my mind. And with long searching and hard work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/nothing-came-easy-i-was-just-born-with-a-need-to-explore-every-part/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [Washington, D.C. in 1942 was not the easiest place in the world for a Negro to get along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/washington-d-c-in-1942-was-not-the-easiest-place-in-the-world-for-a/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I suffered evils, but without allowing them to rob me of the freedom to expand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-suffered-evils-but-without-allowing-them-to-rob-me-of-the-freedom/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [I have never known anyone important enough to consume me in anger beyond a few hours. Better to depart their existence before they poison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-have-never-known-anyone-important-enough-to-consume-me-in-anger/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [Enthusiasm is the electricity of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/enthusiasm-is-the-electricity-of-life/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) [Explore all 48 Gordon Parks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just try.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gordon Parks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-more-if-they-just-try/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can do" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-more-if-they-just-try/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/gordon-parks-14120_can-do_i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-m_1148573.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think most people can do a whole lot more if they just try.” — Gordon Parks", "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": "Gordon Parks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think most people can do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-more-if-they-just-try/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-think-most-people-can-do-a-whole-lot-more-if-they-just-try/#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 } } ] } ```