Chipping away Quote by Noam Chomsky
“If you look at history, even recent history, you see that there is indeed progress. . . . Over time, the cycle is clearly, generally upwards. And it doesn't happen by laws of nature. And it doesn't happen by social laws. . . . It happens as a result of hard work by dedicated people who are willing to look at problems honestly, to look at them without illusions, and to go to work chipping away at them, with no guarantee of success — in fact, with a need for a rather high tolerance for failure along the way, and plenty of disappointments.”
About This Quote
Progress arises from diligent, honest effort and tolerance for failure, not from natural or social laws alone.
In simple terms: Hard work and persistence drive improvement.
Key Takeaway
Embrace effort and resilience.
Themes
progress
hard work
failure
honesty
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- research
- activism
- community projects
Key Concepts
social change
resilience
incremental improvement
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal habits foster resilience?
- How can societies support persistent problem‑solvers?
A Different Perspective
Success is not guaranteed; setbacks are common.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
