--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact you can only do a little is no…" description: "\"“The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.”\" — John le Carré" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg" --- # The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing… ![“The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.” quote by John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg) > ““The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.”” [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even small actions matter; doing nothing is not an excuse. **In simple terms:** Small effort beats in. Key Takeaway Take any possible action. Themes action responsibility effort Mood motivational urgent Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal goals - social activism - daily habits Key Concepts existentialism agency Questions to Reflect On - What tiny step can you take today? - How does in justify inaction? A Different Perspective Small actions may feel insignificant. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The fact that you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-that-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [If I didn't feel that I was doing something or trying to do something for others, then I would have very little excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/if-i-didn-t-feel-that-i-was-doing-something-or-trying-to-do-something/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/sit-down-before-fact-as-a-little-child-be-prepared-to-give-up-every/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [There may often be excuse for doing things poorly in this world, but there is never any excuse for calling a poorly done thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/there-may-often-be-excuse-for-doing-things-poorly-in-this-world-but/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [“We turned into each other’s best excuse for not doing the things we were afraid of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-guzeman/we-turned-into-each-other-s-best-excuse-for-not-doing-the-things-we/) [Tracy Guzeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-guzeman/) > [Trying simply provides an excuse for not doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/trying-simply-provides-an-excuse-for-not-doing/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [There is no excuse for doing anything which is not strikingly beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/there-is-no-excuse-for-doing-anything-which-is-not-strikingly/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Saying things like "you must hit rock bottom before you can rise up" is just an excuse for not doing the effort of rising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-macdermott/saying-things-like-you-must-hit-rock-bottom-before-you-can-rise-up-is/) Fergus MacDermott > [Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/not-having-hope-is-not-an-excuse-for-not-doing-something/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [“Of course you could do more - you can always do more, and you should do more - but still, the important things is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/of-course-you-could-do-more-you-can-always-do-more-and-you-should-do/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [Nothing you do particularly matters. But I'm not sure that's a great excuse for doing it poorly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/nothing-you-do-particularly-matters-but-i-m-not-sure-that-s-a-great/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [“Writing clean code is what you must do in order to call yourself a professional. There is no reasonable excuse for doing anything less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-martin/writing-clean-code-is-what-you-must-do-in-order-to-call-yourself-a/) [Robert C. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-martin/) > [Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/not-being-able-to-do-everything-is-no-excuse-for-not-doing-everything/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [Inspiration is an excuse for doing something you already want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/inspiration-is-an-excuse-for-doing-something-you-already-want-to-do/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“Maybe you were the inspiration, but inspiration is an excuse for doing something you already want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/maybe-you-were-the-inspiration-but-inspiration-is-an-excuse-for-doing/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) ## More by John le Carré > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“You're history, Donohue. You think countries run the fucking world! Go back to fucking Sunday school. It's 'God save our multinational' they're singing these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/you-re-history-donohue-you-think-countries-run-the-fucking-world-go/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/when-you-re-my-age-and-you-see-a-story-you-better-go-for-it-pretty/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The trouble is, when professional spies go out of their way to make a definitive statement about one of their own, the public tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-trouble-is-when-professional-spies-go-out-of-their-way-to-make-a/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Home's where you go when you run out of homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/home-s-where-you-go-when-you-run-out-of-homes/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/pain-observed-is-journalistic-pain-it-s-diplomatic-pain-it-s/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“and the wood smoke will roll out of the fireplace on to the carpet we paid too much for on that rainy afternoon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/and-the-wood-smoke-will-roll-out-of-the-fireplace-on-to-the-carpet-we/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Middle children weep longer than their brothers and sisters. Over her mother’s shoulder, stilling her pains and her injured pride, Jackie Lacon watched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/middle-children-weep-longer-than-their-brothers-and-sisters-over-her/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [For decades to come the spy world will continue to be the collective couch where the subconscious of each nation is confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/for-decades-to-come-the-spy-world-will-continue-to-be-the-collective/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I happen to write by hand. I don't even type. John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-happen-to-write-by-hand-i-don-t-even-type-john-le-carre/) [John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-more-identities-a-man-has-the-more-they-express-the-person-they/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Explore all 409 John le Carré quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [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/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [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/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) Kitty > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“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/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John le Carré" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/john-le-carre-651_doing_the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no_2420119.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.” — John le Carré", "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": "John le Carré", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The fact you can only do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```