--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People do not resist change, per se…" description: "\"“People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss. You appear dangerous to people when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of a lifeti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/martin-linsky-26236_change_people-do-not-resist-change-per-se-peopl_1677004.jpg" --- # People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss… ![“People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss. You appear dangerous to people when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of a lifetime. You place yourself on the line when you tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. Although you may see with clarity…” quote by Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/martin-linsky-26236_change_people-do-not-resist-change-per-se-peopl_1677004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/martin-linsky-26236_change_people-do-not-resist-change-per-se-peopl_1677004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9be/martin-linsky-26236_change_people-do-not-resist-change-per-se-peopl_1677004.jpg) > ““People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss. You appear dangerous to people when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of a lifetime. You place yourself on the line when you tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. Although you may see with clarity and passion a promising future of progress and gain, people will see with equal passion the losses you are asking them to sustain.”” [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fear losing what they value more than they fear change itself; challenging core beliefs feels threatening. **In simple terms:** People resist loss more than change. Key Takeaway Address loss concerns directly. Themes resistance change loss communication Mood cautious empathetic Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - team meetings - organizational change - personal coaching Key Concepts psychology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - How can you frame change as preserving valued aspects? - What losses do people perceive? A Different Perspective If you ignore loss aversion, proposals may be rejected. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [“Ronald Heifetz suggests that people do not resist change per se. People resist loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-n-mosser/ronald-heifetz-suggests-that-people-do-not-resist-change-per-se/) David N. Mosser > [People will resist change when it's done to them, not with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/people-will-resist-change-when-it-s-done-to-them-not-with-them/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [What people resist is not change per se, but loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-people-resist-is-not-change-per-se-but-loss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Stating that people resist change is just an excuse for bad leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stating-that-people-resist-change-is-just-an-excuse-for-bad-leadership/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The people who resist change will be confronted by the growing number of people who see that better ways are available; thanks to technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-people-who-resist-change-will-be-confronted-by-the-growing-number/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“People tend to resist a change into something new and different. But after it's succeded, they easily say that the change is a must.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/people-tend-to-resist-a-change-into-something-new-and-different-but/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [If you decide to work with the opera world, chances are there are going to be people who resist that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/if-you-decide-to-work-with-the-opera-world-chances-are-there-are/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [Life sweeps you up. Some people resist a lot. I probably haven't resisted very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uma-thurman/life-sweeps-you-up-some-people-resist-a-lot-i-probably-haven-t/) [Uma Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uma-thurman/) > [“Knowledge is responsibility, which is why people resist knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/knowledge-is-responsibility-which-is-why-people-resist-knowledge/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [I think people resist feminism because they're scared. I think for women, they're scared of being picked on or of being called out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/i-think-people-resist-feminism-because-they-re-scared-i-think-for/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [For usually people resist as long as they can to dismiss the fool they harbor in their bosom, they resist to confess a major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/for-usually-people-resist-as-long-as-they-can-to-dismiss-the-fool/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“People resist you changing because they cant control you like they once did”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-martinez/people-resist-you-changing-because-they-cant-control-you-like-they/) A.J. Martinez > [People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they'll spend all day telling you who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/people-resist-a-census-but-give-them-a-profile-page-and-they-ll-spend/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“Few people can resist doing what is universally expected of them. This invisible pressure is more difficult to stand against than individual tyranny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/few-people-can-resist-doing-what-is-universally-expected-of-them-this/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [ Why do people resist \[engines, bridges, and cities\] so? They are symbols and products of the imagination, which is the force that ensures justice… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/why-do-people-resist-engines-bridges-and-cities-so-they-are-symbols/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) ## More by Martin Linsky > [“We all need affirmation, but accepting accolades in an undisciplined way can lead to grandiosity, an inflated view of yourself and your cause. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/we-all-need-affirmation-but-accepting-accolades-in-an-undisciplined/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“the word “lead” has an Indo-European root that means “to go forth, die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/the-word-lead-has-an-indo-european-root-that-means-to-go-forth-die/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“You appear dangerous to people when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of a lifetime. You place yourself on the line when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/you-appear-dangerous-to-people-when-you-question-their-values-beliefs/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“Leadership is an improvisational art. You may have an overarching vision, clear, orienting values, and even a strategic plan, but what you actually do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/leadership-is-an-improvisational-art-you-may-have-an-overarching/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“trying to take satisfaction in life from the numbers you ring up is ultimately no more successful than making survival your goal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/trying-to-take-satisfaction-in-life-from-the-numbers-you-ring-up-is/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“You have probably been attacked in one form or another. Perhaps you’ve been criticized for your style of communication: too abrasive or too gentle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/you-have-probably-been-attacked-in-one-form-or-another-perhaps-you-ve/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“The deeper the change and the greater the amount of new learning required, the more resistance there will be and, thus, the greater the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/the-deeper-the-change-and-the-greater-the-amount-of-new-learning/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“In times of distress, when everyone looks to authorities to provide direction, protection, and order, this is an easy diagnostic mistake to make. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/in-times-of-distress-when-everyone-looks-to-authorities-to-provide/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“The hope of leadership lies in the capacity to deliver disturbing news and raise difficult questions in a way that people can absorb, prodding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/the-hope-of-leadership-lies-in-the-capacity-to-deliver-disturbing/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“being criticized by people you care about is almost always a part of exercising leadership.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/being-criticized-by-people-you-care-about-is-almost-always-a-part-of/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“When exercising leadership, you risk getting marginalized, diverted, attacked, or seduced. Regardless of the form, however, the point is the same. When people resist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/when-exercising-leadership-you-risk-getting-marginalized-diverted/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“Children have generative power. They create meaning as they busily connect with whatever is happening. But grown-ups often forget that ability. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/children-have-generative-power-they-create-meaning-as-they-busily/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“To survive and succeed in exercising leadership, you must work as closely with your opponents as you do with your supporters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/to-survive-and-succeed-in-exercising-leadership-you-must-work-as/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“The most difficult work of leadership involves learning to experience distress without numbing yourself. The virtue of a sacred heart lies in the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/the-most-difficult-work-of-leadership-involves-learning-to-experience/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [“Because their fears were so deep, verbal acknowledgment would not suffice. He had to model the behavior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/because-their-fears-were-so-deep-verbal-acknowledgment-would-not/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) [Explore all 22 Martin Linsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) ## 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 > [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": "“People do not resist change, per se. 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