---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An improvement is not always worth it."
description: "\"“An improvement is not always worth it.”\" — Mokokoma Mokhonoana"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg"
---

#  An improvement is not always worth it.

![“An improvement is not always worth it.” quote by Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg)

> ““An improvement is not always worth it.””

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

## About This Quote

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

Improvements are not inherently valuable; they must be weighed against cost and benefit.

**In simple terms:** Not every change is beneficial.

Key Takeaway

Evaluate the true value before changing.

Themes

change value critical thinking

Mood

skeptical analytical

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- business decisions
- personal habits
- technology upgrades

Key Concepts

cost‑benefit analysis risk assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- What criteria determine a worthwhile improvement?
- When might preserving the old be better?

A Different Perspective

May overlook emotional or cultural significance of status quo.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Improvement Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement-worth-5261428/) [Kaizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kaizen/) [Manufacturing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manufacturing/) [Production](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/production/) [Self help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-help/) [Waste of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste-of-time/) [Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth/)

## Related quotes

> [Even a fraction of a per cent improvement is worth getting, and I'm really excited about the chance to work on my game in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-wan-bissaka/even-a-fraction-of-a-per-cent-improvement-is-worth-getting-and-i-m/)

[Aaron Wan-Bissaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-wan-bissaka/)

> [The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we do not recognize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeo-shingo/the-most-dangerous-kind-of-waste-is-the-waste-we-do-not-recognize/)

[Shigeo Shingo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeo-shingo/)

> [Commercialism is doing well that which should not be done at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/commercialism-is-doing-well-that-which-should-not-be-done-at-all/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Why not make the work easier and more interesting so that people do not have to sweat? The Toyota style is not to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliyahu-m-goldratt/why-not-make-the-work-easier-and-more-interesting-so-that-people-do/)

[Eliyahu M. Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-m-goldratt/)

> [Just as the Japanese pioneered a new form of manufacturing - lean production and quite new standards of reliability - so Tata, too, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/just-as-the-japanese-pioneered-a-new-form-of-manufacturing-lean/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [The world of design has been subjugated by the rigors of manufacturing and mass production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neri-oxman/the-world-of-design-has-been-subjugated-by-the-rigors-of/)

[Neri Oxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neri-oxman/)

> [From the 1970s, there has been a significant change in the US economy, as planners, private and state, shifted it toward financialization and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/from-the-1970s-there-has-been-a-significant-change-in-the-us-economy/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Time waste differs from material waste in that there can be no salvage. The easiest of all wastes and the hardest to correct is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/time-waste-differs-from-material-waste-in-that-there-can-be-no/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [“Many millions of pregnancies—many if not most of which have each led to the birth of at least one child—were each used as nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/many-millions-of-pregnancies-many-if-not-most-of-which-have-each-led/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“We, in the interest of the so-called progress, have been persuaded to leave the production and at times the cooking of our food to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/we-in-the-interest-of-the-so-called-progress-have-been-persuaded-to/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“When in court, the primary role of lawyers is not to prove or disprove innocence; unbeknown to almost all lawyers and their clients, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/when-in-court-the-primary-role-of-lawyers-is-not-to-prove-or-disprove/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Small actions are at the heart of kaizen. By taking steps so tiny that they seem trivial or even laughable, you'll sail calmly past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-maurer/small-actions-are-at-the-heart-of-kaizen-by-taking-steps-so-tiny-that/)

[Robert D. Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-maurer/)

> [Many good American companies have respect for individuals, and practice Kaizen and other TPS {Toyota Production System} tools. But what is important is having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fujio-cho/many-good-american-companies-have-respect-for-individuals-and/)

[Fujio Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fujio-cho/)

## More by Mokokoma Mokhonoana

> [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Dating is a man-made ideology: if having a lover was a prerequisite to living, one would either be in a relationship, or, six feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/dating-is-a-man-made-ideology-if-having-a-lover-was-a-prerequisite-to/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Work is a vehicle with which man chases some fleeting destination called a full tummy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/work-is-a-vehicle-with-which-man-chases-some-fleeting-destination/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“A phone call should be a convenience to the caller, not an inconvenience to the called.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-phone-call-should-be-a-convenience-to-the-caller-not-an/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“\*Nothing is free\* asserts two things. Both assertions are true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/nothing-is-free-asserts-two-things-both-assertions-are-true/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“\*You only get one chance to make a first impression.\* Ah, whatever!!! Who said you get three chances to make the second impression?!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/you-only-get-one-chance-to-make-a-first-impression-ah-whatever-who/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“A prisoner is imprisoned by the crime that he has committed. A jailer is imprisoned — in the very same prison — by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-prisoner-is-imprisoned-by-the-crime-that-he-has-committed-a-jailer/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Life is deadly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/life-is-deadly/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Hypocrisy is when you get mad at a friend for telling their other friend a secret that your other friend told you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/hypocrisy-is-when-you-get-mad-at-a-friend-for-telling-their-other/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Explore all 959 Mokokoma Mokhonoana quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

## 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": "“An improvement is not always worth it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mokokoma Mokhonoana"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a5/mokokoma-mokhonoana-195_business_an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it-15_1568632.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An improvement is not always worth it.” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana",
                "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": "Mokokoma Mokhonoana",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“An improvement is not always worth...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-improvement-is-not-always-worth-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
