---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our task is a great one, not just because…"
description: "\"Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we have fallen. Our task is a great one because of the challenges facing the people we seek to ser..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png"
---

#  Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we…

![“Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we have fallen. Our task is a great one because of the challenges facing the people we seek to serve.” quote by Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png)

> “Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we have fallen. Our task is a great one because of the challenges facing the people we seek to serve.”

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

## About This Quote

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

The importance of serving people outweighs past failures; challenges give purpose.

**In simple terms:** Serving people matters more than past falls.

Key Takeaway

Focus on current challenges.

Themes

service purpose challenge

Mood

determined hopeful

Type

inspirational motivational

When to use this quote

- nonprofit work
- policy making
- community outreach

Key Concepts

social responsibility motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we turn past failures into learning?
- What challenges most motivate you?

A Different Perspective

Overcoming past failures may not guarantee success.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [We must not become perpetually distracted from the great challenges facing our country and the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/we-must-not-become-perpetually-distracted-from-the-great-challenges/)

[Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/)

> [We are at a stage in history in which remolding society is one of the great challenges facing all of us in the West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-are-at-a-stage-in-history-in-which-remolding-society-is-one-of-the/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [My first task is to show how great we are as a nation - let's banish the pessimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-leadsom/my-first-task-is-to-show-how-great-we-are-as-a-nation-let-s-banish/)

[Andrea Leadsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-leadsom/)

> [The challenges facing our Armed Forces are increasingly complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-hyde-smith/the-challenges-facing-our-armed-forces-are-increasingly-complex/)

[Cindy Hyde-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-hyde-smith/)

> [One of the biggest challenges facing the globe is the gap that exists in the wealth and standards of living enjoyed by the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-behlendorf/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-facing-the-globe-is-the-gap-that-exists/)

[Brian Behlendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-behlendorf/)

> [How to strike the right balance between our privacy and our expectation that the state will protect us and facilitate our freedom is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/how-to-strike-the-right-balance-between-our-privacy-and-our/)

[David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/)

> [I have never lived through any time in my career when there haven't been grave challenges facing newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-newhouse/i-have-never-lived-through-any-time-in-my-career-when-there-haven-t/)

Donald Newhouse

> [One of the major challenges facing creative individuals is that of building upon the continuity of human knowledge while achieving novel insights. ... On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-john-steiner/one-of-the-major-challenges-facing-creative-individuals-is-that-of/)

Vera John-Steiner

> [The American people aren't focused on the debates of the past. They're focused on their future. They're focused on the challenges that we're facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-american-people-aren-t-focused-on-the-debates-of-the-past-they-re/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [“One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is that of being able to live with one another in a peaceful and civilized way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/one-of-the-greatest-challenges-facing-humanity-is-that-of-being-able/)

[Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/)

> [The challenges facing Britain required not just a cool head, but a heart burning with the desire for change - not business as usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/the-challenges-facing-britain-required-not-just-a-cool-head-but-a/)

[Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/)

> [Few challenges facing America and the world are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/few-challenges-facing-america-and-the-world-are-more-urgent-than/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Thousands of climate scientists agree that global warming is not only the most threatening environmental problem but also one of the greatest challenges facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/thousands-of-climate-scientists-agree-that-global-warming-is-not-only/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [Unless we face the future with answers to the real and dangerous challenges facing our country and our world we risk becoming a cautionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/unless-we-face-the-future-with-answers-to-the-real-and-dangerous/)

[Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/)

> [Senator Obama will be taking office at a critical juncture. There are many pressing challenges facing the international community, including the global financial crisis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-clark/senator-obama-will-be-taking-office-at-a-critical-juncture-there-are/)

[Helen Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-clark/)

## More by Johann Lamont

> [There is a danger of Scottish politics being between two sets of dinosaurs... the Nationalists who can't accept they were rejected by the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/there-is-a-danger-of-scottish-politics-being-between-two-sets-of/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I'm pretty proud of having completed a marathon myself, so I can only imagine the pride that real athletes feel when they are picked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-m-pretty-proud-of-having-completed-a-marathon-myself-so-i-can-only/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I spent ridiculous amounts of time as an activist and volunteer and was a teacher for 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-spent-ridiculous-amounts-of-time-as-an-activist-and-volunteer-and/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I remember going to see Billy Graham in a cinema in Glasgow, and he was down in London. I used to go and hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-remember-going-to-see-billy-graham-in-a-cinema-in-glasgow-and-he/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [Fair tax does not mean we don't want to encourage wealth creation. Wealth creation is how we raise the money to pay for world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/fair-tax-does-not-mean-we-don-t-want-to-encourage-wealth-creation/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [The test is can you do something, rather than have a theoretical argument - can you make a difference?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/the-test-is-can-you-do-something-rather-than-have-a-theoretical/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [If you don't accept there is a problem, then it is hard to debate things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/if-you-don-t-accept-there-is-a-problem-then-it-is-hard-to-debate/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [The Scottish Labour Party, while I have breath in my body, will listen to the views of trade unionists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/the-scottish-labour-party-while-i-have-breath-in-my-body-will-listen/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I'd always step up to the mark to serve the people of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-d-always-step-up-to-the-mark-to-serve-the-people-of-the-country/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [Scotland is my country, the nation that shaped me, that taught me my values. A nation whose achievements inspired and inspire me, a community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/scotland-is-my-country-the-nation-that-shaped-me-that-taught-me-my/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I guess it feels to me that the political argument that has been lost in my lifetime is taxation. How do you engage in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-guess-it-feels-to-me-that-the-political-argument-that-has-been-lost/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [We must listen and learn, show humility and seek again to talk for and to people's ambitions and concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/we-must-listen-and-learn-show-humility-and-seek-again-to-talk-for-and/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I will not promise what I cannot deliver. And I will never hide the cost of what I propose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-will-not-promise-what-i-cannot-deliver-and-i-will-never-hide-the/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [If I have learned one thing in life, it is never to take any man's own estimate of himself. He could very well be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/if-i-have-learned-one-thing-in-life-it-is-never-to-take-any-man-s-own/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

> [I've taught fifth-year Christmas leavers last thing on a Friday afternoon. Basically, if you can face that you can face anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/i-ve-taught-fifth-year-christmas-leavers-last-thing-on-a-friday/)

[Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

[Explore all 68 Johann Lamont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/)

## More Because quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/)

[Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/)

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/)

[Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

Browse all 15,485 Because quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we have fallen. Our task is a great one because of the challenges facing the people we seek to serve.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Johann Lamont"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because-of-how-far-we-have-fallen/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Because"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because-of-how-far-we-have-fallen/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/576/johann-lamont-9992_because_our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because_2035902.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our task is a great one, not just because of how far we have fallen. Our task is a great one because of the…” — Johann Lamont",
                "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": "Johann Lamont",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our task is a great one,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because-of-how-far-we-have-fallen/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/our-task-is-a-great-one-not-just-because-of-how-far-we-have-fallen/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
