--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American society has a remarkable ability…" description: "\"American society has a remarkable ability to resist change, or to take whatever change has taken place and attempt to make it go away.\" — Nora Ephron" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg" --- # American society has a remarkable ability to resist… ![“American society has a remarkable ability to resist change, or to take whatever change has taken place and attempt to make it go away.” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg) > “American society has a remarkable ability to resist change, or to take whatever change has taken place and attempt to make it go away.” [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society resists change, often trying to reverse it, reflecting inertia and fear. **In simple terms:** People fight against change. Key Takeaway Embrace change, understand resistance. Themes change societal inertia fear Mood critical reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy reform - technological adoption - cultural shifts - personal habits Key Concepts social dynamics psychology of resistance Questions to Reflect On - Why do we fear change? - How can we foster adaptive mindsets? A Different Perspective Resistance can be a protective mechanism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [American society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-society/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Going away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-away/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [“People tend to resist a change into something new and different. But after it's succeded, they easily say that the change is a must.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/people-tend-to-resist-a-change-into-something-new-and-different-but/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Only weak resist change, brave go ahead and accept it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukant-ratnakar/only-weak-resist-change-brave-go-ahead-and-accept-it/) [Sukant Ratnakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukant-ratnakar/) > [“Ronald Heifetz suggests that people do not resist change per se. People resist loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-n-mosser/ronald-heifetz-suggests-that-people-do-not-resist-change-per-se/) David N. Mosser > [People don't resist change. They resist being changed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-don-t-resist-change-they-resist-being-changed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They try to resist change. Power comes from becoming change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/they-try-to-resist-change-power-comes-from-becoming-change/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss. You appear dangerous to people when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-linsky/people-do-not-resist-change-per-se-people-resist-loss-you-appear/) [Martin Linsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-linsky/) > [What people resist is not change per se, but loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-people-resist-is-not-change-per-se-but-loss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why resist change when it's the main source of your growth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/why-resist-change-when-it-s-the-main-source-of-your-growth/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [People will resist change when it's done to them, not with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/people-will-resist-change-when-it-s-done-to-them-not-with-them/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [“If you resist change, you resist life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru-jaggi-vasudev/if-you-resist-change-you-resist-life/) Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev > [I resist change even as I call for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/i-resist-change-even-as-i-call-for-it/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Stay positive. When you resist change, you are trying too hard to control the outcome and not paying enough attention to the process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-praagh/stay-positive-when-you-resist-change-you-are-trying-too-hard-to/) [James Van Praagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-praagh/) > [The more you resist change, the more it will be painful for you to accept it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/the-more-you-resist-change-the-more-it-will-be-painful-for-you-to/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [People resist change; if they like something, then they want you to keep doing it over and over - but I think if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/people-resist-change-if-they-like-something-then-they-want-you-to/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Not merely can people like me write things that would never have been printed before but I think an enormously dramatic change has taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/not-merely-can-people-like-me-write-things-that-would-never-have-been/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) ## More by Nora Ephron > [ “\[S\]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/) > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-whole-purpose-of-places-like-starbucks-is-for-people-with-no/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I wish he were better at hailing taxis than I am; on the other hand, I realize that expectation is culturally conditioned, utterly foolish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-wish-he-were-better-at-hailing-taxis-than-i-am-on-the-other-hand-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-enter-into-a-certain-amount-of-madness-when-you-marry-a-person/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [I never went near the Wellesley College chapel in my four years there, but I am still amazed at the amount of Christian charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-never-went-near-the-wellesley-college-chapel-in-my-four-years-there/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [You can't call yourself a feminist if you don't believe in the right to abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-can-t-call-yourself-a-feminist-if-you-don-t-believe-in-the-right/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I always read the last page of a book first so that if I die before I finish I'll know how it turned out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-always-read-the-last-page-of-a-book-first-so-that-if-i-die-before-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“If I was home alone at night, I cooked myself an entire meal from one of these cookbooks. Then I sat down in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/if-i-was-home-alone-at-night-i-cooked-myself-an-entire-meal-from-one/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“The next man I was involved with lived in Boston. He taught me to cook mushrooms. He taught me that if you heat the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-next-man-i-was-involved-with-lived-in-boston-he-taught-me-to-cook/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/whatever-you-choose-however-many-roads-you-travel-i-hope-that-you/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [A man who finishes a book is always alone when he finishes it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/a-man-who-finishes-a-book-is-always-alone-when-he-finishes-it/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [“I hear myself saying these words: What this movement is about is options. I say it to friends who are frustrated, or housebound, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-hear-myself-saying-these-words-what-this-movement-is-about-is/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) [Explore all 272 Nora Ephron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American society has a remarkable ability to resist change, or to take whatever change has taken place and attempt to make it go away.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nora Ephron" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/american-society-has-a-remarkable-ability-to-resist-change-or-to-take/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/american-society-has-a-remarkable-ability-to-resist-change-or-to-take/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edf/nora-ephron-1217_ability_american-society-has-a-remarkable-abilit_604099.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American society has a remarkable ability to resist change, or to take whatever change has taken place and…” — Nora Ephron", "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": "Nora Ephron", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "American society has a remarkable ability...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/american-society-has-a-remarkable-ability-to-resist-change-or-to-take/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/american-society-has-a-remarkable-ability-to-resist-change-or-to-take/#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 } } ] } ```