--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Occupy was not a movement, it was a…" description: "\"Occupy was not a movement, it was a tactic. You can't sit forever in a park near Wall Street. You can't do it for more than a few months. It was a tact..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/noam-chomsky-42_action_occupy-was-not-a-movement-it-was-a-tacti_2525956.jpg" --- # Occupy was not a movement, it was a tactic. You can't sit… ![“Occupy was not a movement, it was a tactic. You can't sit forever in a park near Wall Street. You can't do it for more than a few months. It was a tactic I had not predicted. If people asked me, I would have said "don't do it." But it was a great success, an enormous success, with a big impact on…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/noam-chomsky-42_action_occupy-was-not-a-movement-it-was-a-tacti_2525956.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/noam-chomsky-42_action_occupy-was-not-a-movement-it-was-a-tacti_2525956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/noam-chomsky-42_action_occupy-was-not-a-movement-it-was-a-tacti_2525956.jpg) > “Occupy was not a movement, it was a tactic. You can't sit forever in a park near Wall Street. You can't do it for more than a few months. It was a tactic I had not predicted. If people asked me, I would have said "don't do it." But it was a great success, an enormous success, with a big impact on people's thinking, on people's actions.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Occupy was a short‑term tactic, not a lasting movement; its impact lay in shifting public discourse despite limited duration. **In simple terms:** Occupy was a brief tactic that changed ideas. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of tactical actions. Themes activism political strategy social change Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - protest planning - policy advocacy - media strategy Key Concepts tactics public discourse movement theory Questions to Reflect On - What lasting change can a tactic inspire? - How to sustain momentum after a short protest? A Different Perspective Tactics may lack long‑term structure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Big impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-impact/) [Great success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-success/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Occupy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupy/) [Occupy movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupy-movement/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People'S Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-s-actions/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wall St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-st/) [Wall street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-street/) ## Related quotes > [“Never stand in the way of letting God use people’s actions, in order to solve a greater issue in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/never-stand-in-the-way-of-letting-god-use-people-s-actions-in-order/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [People do misinterpret events, especially the meaning of other people’s actions and the motives that lead people to act one way or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/people-do-misinterpret-events-especially-the-meaning-of-other-people/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [There are more reasons for people's actions than the number of actions that are actually set in motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-stohl/there-are-more-reasons-for-people-s-actions-than-the-number-of/) [Margaret Stohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-stohl/) > [“There is no one for spying on people's actions like those who are not concerned in them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-no-one-for-spying-on-people-s-actions-like-those-who-are-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Just pay attention to detail. People's actions tell you way more than their mouth ever will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-pay-attention-to-detail-people-s-actions-tell-you-way-more-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we no longer judge the content of people's actions, but merely their form, then we are entering dangerous times indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/if-we-no-longer-judge-the-content-of-people-s-actions-but-merely/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [“Look, you can’t account for other people’s actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-bunn/look-you-can-t-account-for-other-people-s-actions/) Curtis Bunn > [The environment shapes people's actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner/the-environment-shapes-people-s-actions/) [B. F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner/) > [Not everybody's actions are based on ideas. Some people's actions are based on profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pavel-durov/not-everybody-s-actions-are-based-on-ideas-some-people-s-actions-are/) [Pavel Durov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pavel-durov/) > [Regulate the banks, get money out of elections; raise the minimum wage, environmental issues. They're all very important and the Occupy movement made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/regulate-the-banks-get-money-out-of-elections-raise-the-minimum-wage/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The polls show that concern over inequality among the general public rose pretty sharply after the Occupy movement started, very probably as a consequence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-polls-show-that-concern-over-inequality-among-the-general-public/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The Occupy movement did create spontaneously communities that taught people something: you can be in a supportive community of mutual aid and cooperation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-occupy-movement-did-create-spontaneously-communities-that-taught/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Anarchism means all sort of things to different people but the traditional anarchists' movements assumed that there'd be a highly organized society, just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anarchism-means-all-sort-of-things-to-different-people-but-the-2/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The Occupy movement is - it was a big surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-occupy-movement-is-it-was-a-big-surprise/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [People could see by your actions on the park that you cared about it. If we got beat, I'd fling the Sunday papers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-busby/people-could-see-by-your-actions-on-the-park-that-you-cared-about-it/) [Drew Busby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-busby/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. 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Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. 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