---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Business cannot prosper in societies that…"
description: "\"Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.\" — Kofi Annan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png"
---

#  Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.

![“Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.” quote by Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png)

> “Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.”

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

## About This Quote

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

Societies that fail to support business hinder economic growth and prosperity.

**In simple terms:** Weak societies stifle business success.

Key Takeaway

Strengthen institutions and rule of law.

Themes

economics society business development

Mood

concerned optimistic

Type

advice political

When to use this quote

- policy reform
- entrepreneurship
- investment climate
- education systems

Key Concepts

political science development studies

Questions to Reflect On

- What reforms most boost business?
- How can citizens encourage better governance?

A Different Perspective

Reforms may be slow and face resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

## Related quotes

> [I want business to prosper and make a profit caused by business expansion and prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/i-want-business-to-prosper-and-make-a-profit-caused-by-business/)

[Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/)

> [I would continue to remain a teacher till the last breath of my life , As for the business , it is now for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odhavjibhai-raghavji-patel/i-would-continue-to-remain-a-teacher-till-the-last-breath-of-my-life/)

Odhavjibhai Raghavji Patel

> [It either is or ought to be evident to everyone that business has to prosper before anyone can get any benefit from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-either-is-or-ought-to-be-evident-to-everyone-that-business-has-to/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/life-is-full-of-screwups-you-re-supposed-to-fail-sometimes-it-s-a/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [Heartless though it may seem to some, among the least harmful things to eat are sustainably culled wild animals. In the absence of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/heartless-though-it-may-seem-to-some-among-the-least-harmful-things/)

[Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/)

> [A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/)

[Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/)

> [Yes I try to do everything I can not to fail hideously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-balaban/yes-i-try-to-do-everything-i-can-not-to-fail-hideously/)

[Bob Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-balaban/)

> [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [If we fail to appreciate the soul that Easternism gives us, then what we have is a disconnected, Greco-Roman, Western, egocentric, compartmentalized, reductionist, fragmented,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/if-we-fail-to-appreciate-the-soul-that-easternism-gives-us-then-what/)

[Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/)

> [If you're having trouble succeeding, fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/if-you-re-having-trouble-succeeding-fail/)

[Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/)

> [This is my most important role. If I fail at this, I fail at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/this-is-my-most-important-role-if-i-fail-at-this-i-fail-at-everything/)

[Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/)

> [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/)

[James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/)

> [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

> [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/)

[Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/)

> [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

## More by Kofi Annan

> [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [You will recall that for months after 9/11, there was incredible support and sympathy for the US. I really hoped and wished they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/you-will-recall-that-for-months-after-9-11-there-was-incredible/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [A nation has the right to defend itself, but when it comes to the broader issue of peace and security, the legitimacy rests only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/a-nation-has-the-right-to-defend-itself-but-when-it-comes-to-the/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Some have suggested that ideally there must be some international body that would treat areas like the Arctic as a global commerce, a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/some-have-suggested-that-ideally-there-must-be-some-international/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [In an age of interdependence, global citizenship - based on trust and sense of shared responsibility - is a crucial pillar of progress. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-an-age-of-interdependence-global-citizenship-based-on-trust-and/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [We knew the Syrian situation was complex and there were lots of divisions, particularly on the side of the opposition... This is a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-knew-the-syrian-situation-was-complex-and-there-were-lots-of/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-question-is-the-morning-after-what-sort-of-iraq-do-we-wake-up-to/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [I laugh a lot inside and outside, and at myself sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/i-laugh-a-lot-inside-and-outside-and-at-myself-sometimes/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Can the state, which represents the whole of society and has the duty of protecting society, fulfill that duty by lowering itself to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/can-the-state-which-represents-the-whole-of-society-and-has-the-duty/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [As long as inequality and other social problems plague us, populists will try to exploit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/as-long-as-inequality-and-other-social-problems-plague-us-populists/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [The young and dynamic and idealistic people in the square do not have the chance to organise themselves politically, to be able to follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-young-and-dynamic-and-idealistic-people-in-the-square-do-not-have/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

[Explore all 366 Kofi Annan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kofi Annan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-that-fail/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-that-fail/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/kofi-annan-799_business_business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-tha_1787791.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.” — Kofi Annan",
                "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": "Kofi Annan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Business cannot prosper in societies that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-that-fail/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/business-cannot-prosper-in-societies-that-fail/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
