---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You’re either part of the problem or part…"
description: "\"“You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are no bystanders who get to claim no impact. What mark will you leave on this world?..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg"
---

#  You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution…

![“You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are no bystanders who get to claim no impact. What mark will you leave on this world?” quote by Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg)

> ““You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are no bystanders who get to claim no impact. What mark will you leave on this world?””

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

## About This Quote

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

It asserts that everyone must choose to act positively or negatively, with no neutral stance, urging purposeful impact.

**In simple terms:** You must act positively or negatively; no neutral bystanders.

Key Takeaway

Choose to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Themes

responsibility action impact ethics

Mood

determined urgent

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- community projects
- workplace initiatives
- environmental activism
- personal goal setting

Key Concepts

social change personal agency activism

Questions to Reflect On

- What concrete steps can you take to address a problem you care about?
- How do you handle feeling powerless?

A Different Perspective

It may overlook systemic barriers that limit individual influence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bystanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bystanders/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Jeanette-leblanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jeanette-leblanc/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Uncommon-sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncommon-sense/) [Wild-heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-heart/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/)

## Related quotes

> [“Do not settle for living a version of your life designed by another. You are not meant to be gatekeeper or the holder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/do-not-settle-for-living-a-version-of-your-life-designed-by-another/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You own your body. You own your body. You own your body. Your center and your edges are yours and yours alone. In this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-own-your-body-you-own-your-body-you-own-your-body-your-center-and/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Even at the farthest reaches of empathy, we do not and cannot share the lived experience of another. We can never fully know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/even-at-the-farthest-reaches-of-empathy-we-do-not-and-cannot-share/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Because like the depths of the ocean that calls you home, you will never be easy. But darling, you were not brought here for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/because-like-the-depths-of-the-ocean-that-calls-you-home-you-will/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“If you feel like this time you won’t survive the pain, remember that you will. You may not like it. There may be times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/if-you-feel-like-this-time-you-won-t-survive-the-pain-remember-that/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Butterflies are beautiful, but the process of emerging from the chrysalis and spreading your wings can hurt like fucking hell. But still, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/butterflies-are-beautiful-but-the-process-of-emerging-from-the/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“We are not meant to live in isolation. Not in nuclear families or bubbled existence. The richness of life is found in community, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/we-are-not-meant-to-live-in-isolation-not-in-nuclear-families-or/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You are not too much. You have never been too much. You will never be too much. The very idea is preposterous. Because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-are-not-too-much-you-have-never-been-too-much-you-will-never-be/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“There is no shame in feeling broken. In seeking help. In searching for healing. Sometimes it is the breaking that leads us to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/there-is-no-shame-in-feeling-broken-in-seeking-help-in-searching-for/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You hold the collective story of all women in your body. The muscle memory of generations past. This is your legacy, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-hold-the-collective-story-of-all-women-in-your-body-the-muscle/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“The art of a sincere and heartfelt apology is one of the greatest skills you will ever learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/the-art-of-a-sincere-and-heartfelt-apology-is-one-of-the-greatest/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You will always be my teachers, just as much or more than I am yours. Do not think – nor let anyone convince you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-will-always-be-my-teachers-just-as-much-or-more-than-i-am-yours/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You will, at times, be the most selfish asshole you can possibly imagine. You will step out of your own integrity. You will do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-will-at-times-be-the-most-selfish-asshole-you-can-possibly/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You will quite likely encounter the notion that we create our own reality. This can be an empowering idea and also true is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-will-quite-likely-encounter-the-notion-that-we-create-our-own/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“These words and these stories can save a life. Who knows – maybe even your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/these-words-and-these-stories-can-save-a-life-who-knows-maybe-even/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

## More by Jeanette LeBlanc

> [“Do not settle for living a version of your life designed by another. You are not meant to be gatekeeper or the holder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/do-not-settle-for-living-a-version-of-your-life-designed-by-another/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“These words and these stories can save a life. Who knows – maybe even your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/these-words-and-these-stories-can-save-a-life-who-knows-maybe-even/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You will, at times, be the most selfish asshole you can possibly imagine. You will step out of your own integrity. You will do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-will-at-times-be-the-most-selfish-asshole-you-can-possibly/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Isn’t it incredible, I think to myself, how what we name miracle may just be a measure of what we cannot easily reach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/isn-t-it-incredible-i-think-to-myself-how-what-we-name-miracle-may/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You are not a failure. And you are not alone. This I know to be true. Read these lines as many times as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-are-not-a-failure-and-you-are-not-alone-this-i-know-to-be-true/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“People often wondered what it was that made her so very compelling. Why she drew people in again and again? It wasn’t her beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/people-often-wondered-what-it-was-that-made-her-so-very-compelling/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You will always be my teachers, just as much or more than I am yours. Do not think – nor let anyone convince you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-will-always-be-my-teachers-just-as-much-or-more-than-i-am-yours/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“I see you, flawed and humble and road weary and proud and still in spite of the deep ache, somehow sure you’ve done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/i-see-you-flawed-and-humble-and-road-weary-and-proud-and-still-in/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Perhaps all love affairs are nothing more than the projections of hopeful hearts looking for soft lodging in a world that would have them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/perhaps-all-love-affairs-are-nothing-more-than-the-projections-of/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“You alone own your story. Do not let another tell it, and if you find yourself in the company of one determined to rewrite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-alone-own-your-story-do-not-let-another-tell-it-and-if-you-find/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“I’m mesmerized by lipstick prints on coffee cups. By the lines of lips against white pottery. By the color chosen by the woman who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/i-m-mesmerized-by-lipstick-prints-on-coffee-cups-by-the-lines-of-lips/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Do not try quiet my voice. Do not attempt to soften my edges or tame my prowl. I am inhabiting my wild. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/do-not-try-quiet-my-voice-do-not-attempt-to-soften-my-edges-or-tame/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“This story is always yours for the telling. This has always been yours. You can expand to fill it all or take up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/this-story-is-always-yours-for-the-telling-this-has-always-been-yours/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“People stay all the time where we know they should not. Even more, they stay where THEY know they should not. Against reason. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/people-stay-all-the-time-where-we-know-they-should-not-even-more-they/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [“Self-love is an act of holy disruption. To love yourself in a world that profits directly from your self-loathing is the ultimate subversion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/self-love-is-an-act-of-holy-disruption-to-love-yourself-in-a-world/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

[Explore all 52 Jeanette LeBlanc quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

## More Bystanders quotes

> [Bring the viewer to your side, include him in your thought. He is not a bystander. You have the power to increase his perceptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-lange/bring-the-viewer-to-your-side-include-him-in-your-thought-he-is-not-a/)

[Dorothea Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-lange/)

> [New York is a wonderful place to shoot. The bystanders are great. They are enthusiastic. They respect the process, and you get the energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-curtin/new-york-is-a-wonderful-place-to-shoot-the-bystanders-are-great-they/)

[Jane Curtin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-curtin/)

> [Now that I think about it, maybe he is a werewolf. I can picture him lunging over the moors in hot pursuit of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/now-that-i-think-about-it-maybe-he-is-a-werewolf-i-can-picture-him/)

[Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/)

> [One only wishes Wayne LaPierre and his NRA board of directors could be drafted to some of these scenes, where they would be required…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/one-only-wishes-wayne-lapierre-and-his-nra-board-of-directors-could/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“It is from the bystanders (who are in the vast majority) that we receive the propaganda that life is not worth living, that life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/it-is-from-the-bystanders-who-are-in-the-vast-majority-that-we/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [The proponents of UFOs offer up impressive quantities of principally eyewitness data, which although largely subjective and circumstantial in nature, is nevertheless quite intriguing……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-davenport/the-proponents-of-ufos-offer-up-impressive-quantities-of-principally/)

Peter Davenport

> [The future is in our hands. We are not hapless bystanders. We can influence whether we have a planet of peace, social justice, equity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolfensohn/the-future-is-in-our-hands-we-are-not-hapless-bystanders-we-can/)

[James Wolfensohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolfensohn/)

> [Why not allow patrons to comment on directors' decisions, vote on costume design, listen to dancers' conversations, volunteer to help out in ways beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-not-allow-patrons-to-comment-on-directors-decisions-vote-on/)

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

> [History is said to be written by the victors. Fiction, by contrast, is largely the work of injured bystanders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/history-is-said-to-be-written-by-the-victors-fiction-by-contrast-is/)

[Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/)

> [I've never had Internet access. Actually, I have looked at things on other people's computers as a bystander. A few times in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/i-ve-never-had-internet-access-actually-i-have-looked-at-things-on/)

[Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/)

> [I'm just a friendly bystander who they occasionally ask questions of. That's my level of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-m-just-a-friendly-bystander-who-they-occasionally-ask-questions-of/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“A person seldom falls sick, but the bystanders are animated with a faint hope that he will die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-person-seldom-falls-sick-but-the-bystanders-are-animated-with-a/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [We had and incident. I took care of it." "Really." Jace's voice dripped sarcasm. "Do you even know how to use that knife, Clarissa?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/we-had-and-incident-i-took-care-of-it-really-jace-s-voice-dripped/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Bystanders wandered in and out of the merchant's stall, passing the time, talking of dreams they might purchase. Workers and slaves stooped from labor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berlinski/bystanders-wandered-in-and-out-of-the-merchant-s-stall-passing-the/)

[David Berlinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berlinski/)

> [She missed the built environment of New York City. It was only in an urban landscape, amid straight lines and architecture, that she could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/she-missed-the-built-environment-of-new-york-city-it-was-only-in-an/)

[Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/)

[Browse all 90 Bystanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bystanders/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are no bystanders who get to claim no impact. What mark will you leave on this world?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeanette LeBlanc"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-part-of-the-solution-there-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bystanders"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-part-of-the-solution-there-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/jeanette-leblanc-13086_bystanders_you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-par_456194.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. There are no bystanders who get to claim no…” — Jeanette LeBlanc",
                "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": "Jeanette LeBlanc",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You’re either part of the problem...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-part-of-the-solution-there-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-re-either-part-of-the-problem-or-part-of-the-solution-there-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
