---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can either help to make this world a…"
description: "\"We can either help to make this world a more incredible place than it has ever been, or we can hasten its return to inorganic dust.\" — Mihaly Csikszent..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg"
---

#  We can either help to make this world a more incredible…

![“We can either help to make this world a more incredible place than it has ever been, or we can hasten its return to inorganic dust.” quote by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg)

> “We can either help to make this world a more incredible place than it has ever been, or we can hasten its return to inorganic dust.”

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

## About This Quote

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

We must choose to improve humanity or accept its decay.

**In simple terms:** Choose progress over decline.

Key Takeaway

Act to create a better world.

Themes

responsibility future humanity

Mood

determined hopeful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- environmental activism
- community projects
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

ethics collective action

Questions to Reflect On

- What concrete step can you take today?
- How do you balance optimism with realism?

A Different Perspective

Efforts may be thwarted by systemic inertia.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm a huge Lady GaGa fan - she makes the world a more incredible place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tedder/i-m-a-huge-lady-gaga-fan-she-makes-the-world-a-more-incredible-place/)

[Ryan Tedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tedder/)

> [“Everything is inspiration. If you look at the world as the incredible place it is, then each moment is a feast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-means/everything-is-inspiration-if-you-look-at-the-world-as-the-incredible/)

J.D. Means

> [I am on a mission to help make this world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/i-am-on-a-mission-to-help-make-this-world-a-better-place/)

[Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/)

> [I want to help make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ortega/i-want-to-help-make-the-world-a-better-place/)

[Brian Ortega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ortega/)

> [The world is a much more beautiful and incredible place than you think, and each of us has a great deal of power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oie-osterkamp/the-world-is-a-much-more-beautiful-and-incredible-place-than-you/)

Oie Osterkamp

> [New York is an incredible place to be an artist, because there are so many incredible people, and... it's all about the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-yellin/new-york-is-an-incredible-place-to-be-an-artist-because-there-are-so/)

[Dustin Yellin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-yellin/)

> [Living in L.A., it's such a big huge place and there's so much of it. It's so much fun to be in Chinatown, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-commerford/living-in-l-a-it-s-such-a-big-huge-place-and-there-s-so-much-of-it-it/)

[Tim Commerford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-commerford/)

> [The Blue Ridge Mountains are an incredible place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-friend/the-blue-ridge-mountains-are-an-incredible-place/)

[Rupert Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-friend/)

> [ \[Sundance\] still feels like an incredible place for championing emerging voices and art. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elijah-wood/sundance-still-feels-like-an-incredible-place-for-championing/)

[Elijah Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elijah-wood/)

> [But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world, and there's incredible acts of kindness and bravery and in the most unlikely places,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/but-then-there-are-magical-beautiful-things-in-the-world-and-there-s/)

[Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/)

> [I had always thought of Chris as my kid brother and watching how this kid, as I still thought of him, had affected so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-had-always-thought-of-chris-as-my-kid-brother-and-watching-how-this/)

[Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/)

> [I wake up every day, make awesome music with awesome people, and tour the world, which is incredible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logic/i-wake-up-every-day-make-awesome-music-with-awesome-people-and-tour/)

[Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logic/)

> [Nothing is black or white, nothing's 'us or them.' But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world. There's incredible acts of kindness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/nothing-is-black-or-white-nothing-s-us-or-them-but-then-there-are/)

[Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/)

> [I had always thought of Chris as my kid brother and watching how this kid, as I still thought of him, had affected so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-had-always-thought-of-chris-as-my-kid-brother-and-watching-how-this-2/)

[Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/)

> [Just the extent of the reach that the WWE Universe has around the world is incredible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-balor/just-the-extent-of-the-reach-that-the-wwe-universe-has-around-the/)

[Finn Balor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-balor/)

## More by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

> [“Entropy is the normal state of consciousness—a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. To avoid this condition, people are naturally eager to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/entropy-is-the-normal-state-of-consciousness-a-condition-that-is/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/most-enjoyable-activities-are-not-natural-they-demand-an-effort-that/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [People without an internalized symbolic system can all too easily become captives of the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/people-without-an-internalized-symbolic-system-can-all-too-easily/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [Through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, and in that sense learning is unselfish, because it results in the transformation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/through-learning-we-grow-becoming-more-than-we-were-before-and-in/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [“Unfortunately, many people find the only challenges they can respond to are violence, gambling, random sex, or drugs. Some of these experiences can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/unfortunately-many-people-find-the-only-challenges-they-can-respond/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [It is essential to learn to enjoy life. It really does not make sense to go through the motions of existence if one does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-essential-to-learn-to-enjoy-life-it-really-does-not-make-sense/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [“It is usual to explain the motivation of those who enjoy dangerous activities as some sort of pathological need: they are trying to exorcise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-usual-to-explain-the-motivation-of-those-who-enjoy-dangerous/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [“Wisdom and integrity cannot be found in any single domain. A broader viewpoint that breaks across disciplinary boundaries is needed, a way of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/wisdom-and-integrity-cannot-be-found-in-any-single-domain-a-broader/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [For better or worse, our future will be determined in large part by our dreams and by the struggle to make them real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/for-better-or-worse-our-future-will-be-determined-in-large-part-by/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [Many business leaders today view their jobs as entailing responsibility for the welfare of the wider community. These individuals do not define themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/many-business-leaders-today-view-their-jobs-as-entailing/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [The rules themselves are clear enough, and within everyone’s reach. But many forces, both within ourselves and in the environment, stand in the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/the-rules-themselves-are-clear-enough-and-within-everyone-s-reach-but/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [When each of these three elements of vision-concern for excellence, for people and for the wider environment-are present, business is transformed from a tool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/when-each-of-these-three-elements-of-vision-concern-for-excellence/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [If an enterprise does not aspire to be the best of its kind, it will attract second-rate employees, and it will be soon forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/if-an-enterprise-does-not-aspire-to-be-the-best-of-its-kind-it-will/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [Only direct control of experience, the ability to derive moment-by-moment enjoyment from everything we do, can overcome the obstacles to fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/only-direct-control-of-experience-the-ability-to-derive-moment-by/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

> [Try to be surprised by something every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/try-to-be-surprised-by-something-every-day/)

[Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

[Explore all 262 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/)

## 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": "We can either help to make this world a more incredible place than it has ever been, or we can hasten its return to inorganic dust.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a-more-incredible-place-than-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a-more-incredible-place-than-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_business_we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a_2993864.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We can either help to make this world a more incredible place than it has ever been, or we can hasten its…” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi",
                "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": "Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We can either help to make...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a-more-incredible-place-than-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/we-can-either-help-to-make-this-world-a-more-incredible-place-than-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
