--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Power, as human beings exercise power, to…" description: "\"Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the ability to change: the ability to change oneself, the ability to change one's community. And the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/katharine-jefferts-schori-6669_ability_power-as-human-beings-exercise-power-to_2839561.png" --- # Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the… ![“Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the ability to change: the ability to change oneself, the ability to change one's community. And the positive use of power is transformation of self and community toward a higher ideal, toward a healed world.” quote by Katharine Jefferts Schori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/katharine-jefferts-schori-6669_ability_power-as-human-beings-exercise-power-to_2839561.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/katharine-jefferts-schori-6669_ability_power-as-human-beings-exercise-power-to_2839561.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/katharine-jefferts-schori-6669_ability_power-as-human-beings-exercise-power-to_2839561.png) > “Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the ability to change: the ability to change oneself, the ability to change one's community. And the positive use of power is transformation of self and community toward a higher ideal, toward a healed world.” Katharine Jefferts Schori ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power is the capacity to transform oneself and community toward higher ideals and a healed world. **In simple terms:** Power means ability to change self and community. Key Takeaway Use power for positive transformation. Themes ethics leadership transformation Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - social activism - spiritual leadership - policy reform Key Concepts self‑improvement community idealism Questions to Reflect On - How can power be kept accountable? - What structures support ethical use? A Different Perspective Power can be misused for harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-to-change/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Transformation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transformation/) [Use of power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-of-power/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Writing, playing, composing, painting, reading, listening, looking-all require that we submit to being swept away by Eros, to a transformation of self of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-nachmanovitch/writing-playing-composing-painting-reading-listening-looking-all/) [Stephen Nachmanovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-nachmanovitch/) > [“We had a hard life but we didn't know it...We had power…it's a power of transformation you have, when you're stuffed full of fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/we-had-a-hard-life-but-we-didn-t-know-it-we-had-power-it-s-a-power-of/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“To pray is to learn to believe in in a transformation of self and world, which seems, empirically, impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ched-myers/to-pray-is-to-learn-to-believe-in-in-a-transformation-of-self-and/) Ched Myers > [We vastly underestimate the power of transformation of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/we-vastly-underestimate-the-power-of-transformation-of-mind/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of the atom is talking moonshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-rutherford/anyone-who-expects-a-source-of-power-from-the-transformation-of-the/) [Ernest Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-rutherford/) > [Feminist effort to end patriarchal domination should be of primary concern precisely because it insists on the eradication of exploitation and oppression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminist-effort-to-end-patriarchal-domination-should-be-of-primary/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” “There’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-underestimate-the-power-of-human-stupidity-there-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-underestimate-the-power-of-human-stupidity/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Like it or not - and often we don't - power is a pervasive phenomenon. From midnight decisions in the Oval Office that risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/like-it-or-not-and-often-we-don-t-power-is-a-pervasive-phenomenon/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“I believe in one thing only, the power of the human will”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-believe-in-one-thing-only-the-power-of-the-human-will/) [Joseph stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [All power in human hands is liable to be abused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/all-power-in-human-hands-is-liable-to-be-abused/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“I believe in only one thing, the power of human will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-believe-in-only-one-thing-the-power-of-human-will/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [I believe in one thing only, the power of human will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-believe-in-one-thing-only-the-power-of-human-will/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [I believe in the power of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-harper/i-believe-in-the-power-of-the-human-spirit/) [Bob Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-harper/) > [The more power that we have, the less human we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/the-more-power-that-we-have-the-less-human-we-are/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) ## More by Katharine Jefferts Schori > [But for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-jefferts-schori/but-for-us-to-assume-that-god-could-not-act-in-other-ways-is-i-think/) Katharine Jefferts Schori > [See the encounters of Jesus life as windows into possibilities for yours. Accept the invitation to go or strive to go through the narrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-jefferts-schori/see-the-encounters-of-jesus-life-as-windows-into-possibilities-for/) Katharine Jefferts Schori > [I think Easter is most profoundly about meaning, not mechanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-jefferts-schori/i-think-easter-is-most-profoundly-about-meaning-not-mechanism/) Katharine Jefferts Schori Explore all 4 Katharine Jefferts Schori quotes ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the ability to change: the ability to change oneself, the ability to change one's community. 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