---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our actions - and inaction - touch people…"
description: "\"Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.\" — Jacqueline Novogratz"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png"
---

#  Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never…

![“Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.” quote by Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png)

> “Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.”

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

## About This Quote

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

Our deeds, even when we are unaware, affect strangers worldwide, linking us across distances.

**In simple terms:** Our actions affect unknown people worldwide.

Key Takeaway

Consider the far‑reaching impact of every choice.

Themes

interconnectedness responsibility global citizenship

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

ethical inspirational

When to use this quote

- charitable giving
- business decisions
- policy making
- daily habits
- online interactions

Key Concepts

social impact ethical ripple effect systems thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How might you act more responsibly toward unseen others?
- What unseen consequences could your daily choices have?

A Different Perspective

Impact may be indirect and hard to measure, leading to uncertainty about outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Inaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inaction/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [Our actions- and inaction- touch people every day, people we may never know and never meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-every-day-people-we-may-never/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [You are where you are right now because of the actions you've taken, or maybe, the inaction you've taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/you-are-where-you-are-right-now-because-of-the-actions-you-ve-taken/)

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

> [We often don't realize what our action &amp; our inaction do to people we think we will never see &amp; never know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/we-often-don-t-realize-what-our-action-our-inaction-do-to-people-we/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [Politicians must be simple and clear about how their ideas will serve the national cause. We can no longer use the complexity of today's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-siegel/politicians-must-be-simple-and-clear-about-how-their-ideas-will-serve/)

[Alan Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-siegel/)

> [I need to be in touch with the people. You've got to look in their eyes, and you've got to feel what they feel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-williams/i-need-to-be-in-touch-with-the-people-you-ve-got-to-look-in-their/)

[Cecil Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-williams/)

> [ To touch on people's lives \[ in a way they \] haven't been touched on before, it´s fascianting. You know, it's one thing if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/to-touch-on-people-s-lives-in-a-way-they-haven-t-been-touched-on/)

[Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/)

> [Music is something that is in you. You can touch people with your music even if you're working a job at starbucks or working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-joy-galeotti/music-is-something-that-is-in-you-you-can-touch-people-with-your/)

[Bethany Joy Galeotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-joy-galeotti/)

> [It’s no good to lose touch with people who mean a lot,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-carr/it-s-no-good-to-lose-touch-with-people-who-mean-a-lot/)

[Robyn Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-carr/)

> [That's what I do good. I touch people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boosie/that-s-what-i-do-good-i-touch-people/)

[Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boosie/)

> [I want to touch people's hearts, to get right down to their souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-branigan/i-want-to-touch-people-s-hearts-to-get-right-down-to-their-souls/)

[Laura Branigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-branigan/)

> [I love museums, and I think they're fantastic, but they don't touch the people who I frequently think need to be touched with at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/i-love-museums-and-i-think-they-re-fantastic-but-they-don-t-touch-the/)

[Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/)

> [Keep in touch with the people who have something to gain rather than those who have nothing to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/keep-in-touch-with-the-people-who-have-something-to-gain-rather-than/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Keeping in touch with the people that matter is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/keeping-in-touch-with-the-people-that-matter-is-important/)

[G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/)

> [I'm just trying to touch the world and touch the people and just get good material. And show them that we can get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-m-just-trying-to-touch-the-world-and-touch-the-people-and-just-get/)

[Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

## More by Jacqueline Novogratz

> [“If you move through the world with only your compassion, then you walk on only one leg. But if you move through the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/if-you-move-through-the-world-with-only-your-compassion-then-you-walk/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [Malaria is a disease that kills one to three million people a year. 300 to 500 million cases are reported. It's estimated that Africa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/malaria-is-a-disease-that-kills-one-to-three-million-people-a-year/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [Grief releases love and it also instills a profound sense of connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/grief-releases-love-and-it-also-instills-a-profound-sense-of/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [What we yearn for as human beings is to be visible to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/what-we-yearn-for-as-human-beings-is-to-be-visible-to-each-other/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [“We are connected, but the weave is sometimes fragile. (192)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/we-are-connected-but-the-weave-is-sometimes-fragile-192/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [We are connected to each other not only as humans, but to every living thing on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/we-are-connected-to-each-other-not-only-as-humans-but-to-every-living/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [Impact investing has become a broad umbrella that includes all investing with a focus on both financial return and social impact, but in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/impact-investing-has-become-a-broad-umbrella-that-includes-all/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [The older I get, the more determined I feel to do whatever I can to help release that human potential somehow. Not in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/the-older-i-get-the-more-determined-i-feel-to-do-whatever-i-can-to/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [After all this atrocity, this is how human beings really pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/after-all-this-atrocity-this-is-how-human-beings-really-pray/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [“Honorata's story reminds me of the extraordinary power of the human spirit to withstand almost anything. Her story also speaks to the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/honorata-s-story-reminds-me-of-the-extraordinary-power-of-the-human/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [I feel like I'm a relentless, pragmatic, determined optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/i-feel-like-i-m-a-relentless-pragmatic-determined-optimist/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [Monsters will always exist. There's one inside each of us. But an angel lives there, too. There is no more important agenda than figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/monsters-will-always-exist-there-s-one-inside-each-of-us-but-an-angel/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [“If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/if-you-don-t-like-the-way-the-world-is-you-change-it-you-have-an/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [“If we have learned anything, it is the horror that can happen when people don't think for themselves, but instead follow authority blindly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/if-we-have-learned-anything-it-is-the-horror-that-can-happen-when/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [“Don't wait for perfection. Just start and let the work teach you. No one expects you to get it right in the beginning, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/don-t-wait-for-perfection-just-start-and-let-the-work-teach-you-no/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

[Explore all 169 Jacqueline Novogratz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

## More Actions quotes

> [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/)

[Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/)

> [A lot of my work involves instilling objects with the power of touch - a transference of soul, spirit, energy through actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-colen/a-lot-of-my-work-involves-instilling-objects-with-the-power-of-touch/)

[Dan Colen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-colen/)

> [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/)

[Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/)

> [True love is proven through the actions of your true love!! Not through the act of saying it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-proven-through-the-actions-of-your-true-love-not-through/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/)

[Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/)

> [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/)

[Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/)

> [“When you are pushed to the wall, you will act and do things you have never done before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-are-pushed-to-the-wall-you-will-act-and-do-things-you-have/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/)

Alan Sheinwald

> [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [“We are the result of our mere actions. What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/)

[Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/)

> [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/)

[Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/)

> [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. And people started using them so much that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-jacobs-stanton/twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-hashtag-twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-retweet/)

Katie Jacobs Stanton

> [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/)

[James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/)

[Browse all 1,287 Actions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacqueline Novogratz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we-may-never-know-and-never/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actions"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we-may-never-know-and-never/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/jacqueline-novogratz-2383_actions_our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we_2910977.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our actions - and inaction - touch people we may never know and never meet across the globe.” — Jacqueline Novogratz",
                "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": "Jacqueline Novogratz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our actions - and inaction -...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we-may-never-know-and-never/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/our-actions-and-inaction-touch-people-we-may-never-know-and-never/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
