--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the other hand, in the world that we…" description: "\"“On the other hand, in the world that we care about, endlessly preparing for social change work without actually doing it produces the exact same resul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/jonathan-c-lewis-182290_change_on-the-other-hand-in-the-world-that-we-c_145573.jpg" --- # On the other hand, in the world that we care about… ![“On the other hand, in the world that we care about, endlessly preparing for social change work without actually doing it produces the exact same results as endless procrastination. As a matter of simple priority-setting and time management, the dilemma is that by the time I properly ready myself…” quote by Jonathan C. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/jonathan-c-lewis-182290_change_on-the-other-hand-in-the-world-that-we-c_145573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/jonathan-c-lewis-182290_change_on-the-other-hand-in-the-world-that-we-c_145573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/jonathan-c-lewis-182290_change_on-the-other-hand-in-the-world-that-we-c_145573.jpg) > ““On the other hand, in the world that we care about, endlessly preparing for social change work without actually doing it produces the exact same results as endless procrastination. As a matter of simple priority-setting and time management, the dilemma is that by the time I properly ready myself by (a) apprenticing myself in one or more field placements; (b) becoming proficient in a foreign language; (c) getting up to speed about my identity and my privilege; (d) studying the structural causes of social and economic injustice; (e) figuring out the complex drivers holding back a marginalized population; (f) mapping institutional racism and sexism; (g) upping my cultural competency; (h) fine-tuning my emotional IQ; and, (i) sorting through the hurdles of political correctness—I could be dead.”” [Jonathan C. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-c-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Endless preparation without action mirrors procrastination, wasting time and delaying impact. **In simple terms:** Preparing without acting is like procrastinating. Key Takeaway Act now, stop over‑preparing. Themes social change time management procrastination priority setting skill acquisition Mood urgent reflective motivational Type Change:1 Foreign language:0 Institutional racism:0 Procrastination:1 Social change:1 Time management:1 Procrastination Matter:1 Preparing Social:0 Cultural Competency:0 Endlessly Preparing:1 When to use this quote - volunteer work - language study - identity workshops - policy advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts self‑efficacy identity awareness structural analysis cultural competency emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What single step could you take today? - How do you balance learning with doing? A Different Perspective Over‑preparing can lead to burnout if not balanced with action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Cultural Competency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-competency-1633525/) [Endlessly Preparing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endlessly-preparing-1633526/) [Foreign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-language/) [Institutional racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutional-racism/) [Preparing Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparing-social-1633524/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Procrastination Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination-matter-697736/) [Social change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-change/) [Time management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-management/) ## Related quotes > [“We learn more by trying than by endlessly preparing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victory-crayne/we-learn-more-by-trying-than-by-endlessly-preparing/) [Victory Crayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victory-crayne/) > [Writing is 90% procrastination. It is a matter of doing everything you can to avoid writing, until it is about four in the morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudnick/writing-is-90-procrastination-it-is-a-matter-of-doing-everything-you/) [Paul Rudnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudnick/) > [The vast majority of our teachers, our principals and our PTAs are well informed and well meaning, but even those with the best intentions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-james/the-vast-majority-of-our-teachers-our-principals-and-our-ptas-are/) [Letitia James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-james/) > [First there was racism. Then liberals created institutional racism and coded racism. You can only hear it with a dog whistle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sayet/first-there-was-racism-then-liberals-created-institutional-racism-and/) [Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sayet/) > [“America is a white supremacist bully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-aliwat/america-is-a-white-supremacist-bully/) [A.D. Aliwat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-d-aliwat/) > [“Turns out if you write about police violence and atrocities, if you wait a month, it'll happen again, so... That's America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/turns-out-if-you-write-about-police-violence-and-atrocities-if-you/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“This was, by comparison, a safe, secure, clean world. And looking at it, she thought it must be rather pleasant to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-petry/this-was-by-comparison-a-safe-secure-clean-world-and-looking-at-it/) [Ann Petry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-petry/) > [Things like racism are institutionalized. You might not know any bigots. You feel like "well I don't hate black people so I'm not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/things-like-racism-are-institutionalized-you-might-not-know-any/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [“It is the beginning of the year of our Lord 1963. I see a young Negro boy. He is sitting on a stoop in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-is-the-beginning-of-the-year-of-our-lord-1963-i-see-a-young-negro/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [ \[The Democratic Party\]it's a party with an incredible century-and-a-half history of institutional racism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/the-democratic-party-it-s-a-party-with-an-incredible-century-and-a/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [“Has this situation made you fearful of cops?" she eventually asks. "I don't know," I say truthfully. "My uncle's a cop. I know not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/has-this-situation-made-you-fearful-of-cops-she-eventually-asks-i-don/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [“In the end, we are left with this painful conundrum: we only need DEI initiatives because we don’t truly have a society that values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/in-the-end-we-are-left-with-this-painful-conundrum-we-only-need-dei/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“It is not a secret that most American and Western institutions and workplaces are very much like mountains: the higher one climbs, the whiter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-and-western-institutions-and/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“The black officer checks Daddy while his partner glances around at all of the onlookers. There's quite a few of us now. Ms. Yvette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/the-black-officer-checks-daddy-while-his-partner-glances-around-at/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the other hand, in the world that we care about, endlessly preparing for social change work without actually doing it produces the exact same results as endless procrastination. 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