--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Five thousand people in one society might…" description: "\"Five thousand people in one society might do something, but five thousand societies of one member each would be a holy trouble.\" — Jerome K. Jerome" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/jerome-k-jerome-1155_five_five-thousand-people-in-one-society-migh_884783.png" --- # Five thousand people in one society might do something… ![“Five thousand people in one society might do something, but five thousand societies of one member each would be a holy trouble.” quote by Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/jerome-k-jerome-1155_five_five-thousand-people-in-one-society-migh_884783.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/jerome-k-jerome-1155_five_five-thousand-people-in-one-society-migh_884783.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/jerome-k-jerome-1155_five_five-thousand-people-in-one-society-migh_884783.png) > “Five thousand people in one society might do something, but five thousand societies of one member each would be a holy trouble.” [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Individual effort is limited, but many individuals together can cause chaos. **In simple terms:** One person can do little; many can cause trouble. Key Takeaway Recognize collective impact of many small actions. Themes society collective action chaos Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - activists - community organizers - policy makers Key Concepts group dynamics social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can groups harness power positively? - What safeguards prevent collective trouble? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-trouble-1087328/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-society-1087329/) [Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/societies/) [Society Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-thousand-1087326/) [Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand/) [Thousand Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-societies-1087327/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Periodically, the workers do revolt against bourgeois society, not by a hundred, five hundred, or a thousand, but by the millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-mandel/periodically-the-workers-do-revolt-against-bourgeois-society-not-by-a/) [Ernest Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-mandel/) > [The greatest of people that have ever been in society, they were never versions of someone else. They were themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-greatest-of-people-that-have-ever-been-in-society-they-were-never/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-is-nothing-more-dangerous-than-to-build-a-society-with-a-large/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [In the world I lived in, the world of human people, there were ties and debts and consequences and good deeds. That was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/in-the-world-i-lived-in-the-world-of-human-people-there-were-ties-and/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [I guess I'm interested in people and society and what we do collectively in the realm of decisions that shape our world. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-watts/i-guess-i-m-interested-in-people-and-society-and-what-we-do/) [Reggie Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-watts/) > [I am strongly convinced that the people or society is the best and the most unerring critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vissarion-belinsky/i-am-strongly-convinced-that-the-people-or-society-is-the-best-and/) [Vissarion Belinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vissarion-belinsky/) > [It can be said that there are four basic and primary things that the mass of people in a society wish for: to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-can-be-said-that-there-are-four-basic-and-primary-things-that-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Some people in our society specialise in stopping creative people from doing what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-kumar/some-people-in-our-society-specialise-in-stopping-creative-people/) [Manoj Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-kumar/) > [You need people in a society to have reached a certain standard of living before they can be polite. You learn how to respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristian-mungiu/you-need-people-in-a-society-to-have-reached-a-certain-standard-of/) [Cristian Mungiu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristian-mungiu/) > [Some people forget that people are society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-cheesy/some-people-forget-that-people-are-society/) [Mr Cheesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-cheesy/) > [There is hope in people, not in society, not in systems, but in you and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/there-is-hope-in-people-not-in-society-not-in-systems-but-in-you-and/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Income inequality is troubling because, among other things, it means that many people in our society don't have the opportunities to advance themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/income-inequality-is-troubling-because-among-other-things-it-means/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [There are relatively few role models for young people. We are in a society that is ruled by men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-deneuve/there-are-relatively-few-role-models-for-young-people-we-are-in-a/) [Catherine Deneuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-deneuve/) > [I think the greatest of people that have ever been in society, they were never versions of someone else. They were themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-think-the-greatest-of-people-that-have-ever-been-in-society-they/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Most people in this society who aren't actively mad are, at best, reformed or potential lunatics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/most-people-in-this-society-who-aren-t-actively-mad-are-at-best/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) ## More by Jerome K. Jerome > [“George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/george-goes-to-sleep-at-a-bank-from-ten-to-four-each-day-except/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“He would use a bit of string this time, and at the critical moment, when the old fool was leaning over the chair at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/he-would-use-a-bit-of-string-this-time-and-at-the-critical-moment/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Some people are under the impression that all that is required to make a good fisherman is the ability to tell lies easily and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/some-people-are-under-the-impression-that-all-that-is-required-to/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [It is easy enough to say that poverty is no crime. No; if it were men wouldn't be ashamed of it. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-poverty-is-no-crime-no-if-it-were-men/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Love is woman's business,and in "business" we all lay aside our natural weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/love-is-woman-s-business-and-in-business-we-all-lay-aside-our-natural/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [We are but the veriest, sorriest slaves of our stomach. Reach not after morality and righteousness, my friends; watch vigilantly your stomach, and diet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/we-are-but-the-veriest-sorriest-slaves-of-our-stomach-reach-not-after/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“There was no ground-floor — its ground-floor belonged to a house in the next court, and the front door opened direct upon a flight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/there-was-no-ground-floor-its-ground-floor-belonged-to-a-house-in-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“I can understand the ignorant masses loving to soak themselves in drink—oh, yes, it's very shocking that they should, of course—very shocking to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/i-can-understand-the-ignorant-masses-loving-to-soak-themselves-in/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [ They \[dogs\] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/they-dogs-never-talk-about-themselves-but-listen-to-you-while-you/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“And we sit there, by its margin, while the moon, who loves it too, stoops down to kiss it with a sister’s kiss, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/and-we-sit-there-by-its-margin-while-the-moon-who-loves-it-too-stoops/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“The only feeling that a closer intimacy has created in him for his wife is that of indulgent contempt. As there is no equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/the-only-feeling-that-a-closer-intimacy-has-created-in-him-for-his/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Evil thought is a dangerous pet. It is safer to play with it from behind the iron bars of circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/evil-thought-is-a-dangerous-pet-it-is-safer-to-play-with-it-from/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [If you are foolish enough to be contented, don't show it, but grumble with the rest; and if you can do with a little,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/if-you-are-foolish-enough-to-be-contented-don-t-show-it-but-grumble/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Life will always remain a gamble, with prizes sometimes for the imprudent, and blanks so often to the wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/life-will-always-remain-a-gamble-with-prizes-sometimes-for-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“You can never rouse Harris. There is no poetry about Harris- no wild yearning for the unattainable. Harris never "weeps, he knows not why."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/you-can-never-rouse-harris-there-is-no-poetry-about-harris-no-wild/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) [Explore all 267 Jerome K. Jerome quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) ## More Five quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-jackson/if-you-look-at-the-charts-every-year-there-may-be-five-or-ten/) [Randy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-jackson/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I am naturally a thin person and I am 5'1" and putting on five or 10 pounds, that looks like a lot on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-am-naturally-a-thin-person-and-i-am-5-1-and-putting-on-five-or-10/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/man-you-d-be-surprised-how-much-i-m-learning-not-only-about-myself/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) [Browse all 6,265 Five quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Five thousand people in one society might do something, but five thousand societies of one member each would be a holy trouble.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerome K. 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