--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is that a better society will…" description: "\"“The truth is that a better society will only arise through the evolution of the individual. This is because society is made up of millions of individu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/namkhai-norbu-48909_nature-of-man_the-truth-is-that-a-better-society-will_2396341.png" --- # The truth is that a better society will only arise through… ![“The truth is that a better society will only arise through the evolution of the individual. This is because society is made up of millions of individuals. To count to a million, one has to start with number one, which means one has to start with the individual, the only real place one can actually…” quote by Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/namkhai-norbu-48909_nature-of-man_the-truth-is-that-a-better-society-will_2396341.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/namkhai-norbu-48909_nature-of-man_the-truth-is-that-a-better-society-will_2396341.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/namkhai-norbu-48909_nature-of-man_the-truth-is-that-a-better-society-will_2396341.png) > ““The truth is that a better society will only arise through the evolution of the individual. This is because society is made up of millions of individuals. To count to a million, one has to start with number one, which means one has to start with the individual, the only real place one can actually begin to change something. This doesn't mean putting oneself first in an egotistical way, but rather it involves our coming to understand the condition of the whole of humanity through understanding our own experience. With this experience as our guide, we will know how to behave with awareness in any circumstance in every type of society.”” [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal improvement starts with personal transformation; understanding oneself reveals humanity's broader condition, guiding ethical behavior. **In simple terms:** Change yourself to change society. Key Takeaway Begin self‑reflection to influence the world. Themes individual growth societal change self‑awareness ethics humanity Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - community leadership - education reform - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology philosophy social theory Questions to Reflect On - What personal habit could you change to benefit others? - How does self‑knowledge shape your social actions? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on the individual may overlook systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [For the first time in human evolution, the individual life is long enough, and the cultural transformation swift enough, that the individual mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/for-the-first-time-in-human-evolution-the-individual-life-is-long/) [William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/) > [It is your soul's journey to enroll the ego in the quest for the ultimate victory - the evolution of your own individual consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/it-is-your-soul-s-journey-to-enroll-the-ego-in-the-quest-for-the/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [You have to love yourself, not in an egotistical way, but if you love yourself, everyone else will love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/you-have-to-love-yourself-not-in-an-egotistical-way-but-if-you-love/) [Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/) > [I guess in my own egotistical way I like to create my own library of Batman books that doesn't run contrary to a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/i-guess-in-my-own-egotistical-way-i-like-to-create-my-own-library-of/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [There's a lot of me in it. But the character is more egotistical. I'm also egotistical, but not the way the character is. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/there-s-a-lot-of-me-in-it-but-the-character-is-more-egotistical-i-m/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [ While \[Plato\] affirmed with emphasis that the place of the individual in society should not be determined by birth or wealth or any conventional… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/while-plato-affirmed-with-emphasis-that-the-place-of-the-individual/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/each-individual-of-the-society-has-a-right-to-be-protected-by-it-in/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Once it has been perceived that the division of labour is the essence of society, nothing remains of the antithesis between individual and society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/once-it-has-been-perceived-that-the-division-of-labour-is-the-essence/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [God is a complex of ideas formed by the tribe, the nation, and humanity, which awake and organize social feelings and aim to link…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxim-gorky/god-is-a-complex-of-ideas-formed-by-the-tribe-the-nation-and-humanity/) [Maxim Gorky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxim-gorky/) > [For an individual as well as for a society, there is a gulf between merely living and living worthily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/for-an-individual-as-well-as-for-a-society-there-is-a-gulf-between/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) > [We are convinced that the Rosary, if devotely used is bound to benefit not only the individual but society at large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/we-are-convinced-that-the-rosary-if-devotely-used-is-bound-to-benefit/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Solitude is so necessary both for society and for the individual that when society fails to provide sufficient solitude to develop the inner life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/solitude-is-so-necessary-both-for-society-and-for-the-individual-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [A good deal of confusion could be avoided, if we refrained from setting before the group, what can be the aim only of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/a-good-deal-of-confusion-could-be-avoided-if-we-refrained-from/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Each individual in a society is a nexus where innumerable relationships of this character intersect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-quigley/each-individual-in-a-society-is-a-nexus-where-innumerable/) [Carroll Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-quigley/) > [The strains and stresses suffered by the individual in society are grounded in the normal functioning of that society (and of the individual!) rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-strains-and-stresses-suffered-by-the-individual-in-society-are/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) ## More by Namkhai Norbu > [Realization is not knowledge about the universe, but the living experience of the nature of the universe. Until we have such living experience, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/realization-is-not-knowledge-about-the-universe-but-the-living/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [Duality is the real root of our suffering and of all our conflicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/duality-is-the-real-root-of-our-suffering-and-of-all-our-conflicts/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [“Thus, when we awaken, finding ourselves in a state of presence, we look with a bare attention into the face of that very state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/thus-when-we-awaken-finding-ourselves-in-a-state-of-presence-we-look/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [Duality is the real root of our suffering and of all our conflicts. All our concepts and beliefs, no matter how profound they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/duality-is-the-real-root-of-our-suffering-and-of-all-our-conflicts-2/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [“In Dzogchen one learns to become responsible for oneself without following rules. A person who follows rules is like a blind person who needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/in-dzogchen-one-learns-to-become-responsible-for-oneself-without/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [“Enlightenment, or Nirvana, is nothing other than the state beyond all obstacles, in the same way that from the peak of a very high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/enlightenment-or-nirvana-is-nothing-other-than-the-state-beyond-all/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) > [From all kinds of flowers, Seek teachings everywhere, Like a deer that finds A quiet place to graze, Seek Seclusion to digest All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namkhai-norbu/from-all-kinds-of-flowers-seek-teachings-everywhere-like-a-deer-that/) [Namkhai Norbu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) [Explore all 8 Namkhai Norbu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namkhai-norbu/) ## More Nature of man quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. Had a one night stand with something cute a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/probably-it-goes-without-saying-but-time-machine-guys-don-t-get-a-lot/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) Kenan Malik > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Every human creates his own problems. Problems are ones private property and we shouldnt meddle into them self-initiatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/every-human-creates-his-own-problems-problems-are-ones-private/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“In the United States law, federally designated wilderness is famously defined as 'an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/in-the-united-states-law-federally-designated-wilderness-is-famously/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) [Browse all 12,662 Nature of man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The truth is that a better society will only arise through the evolution of the individual. This is because society is made up of millions of individuals. To count to a million, one has to start with number one, which means one has to start with the individual, the only real place one can actually begin to change something. This doesn't mean putting oneself first in an egotistical way, but rather it involves our coming to understand the condition of the whole of humanity through understanding our own experience. 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