--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do…" description: "\"“I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You know that.”\" — Octavia E. Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/342/octavia-e-butler-2861_activism_i-do-what-i-can-i-said-when-i-can-do-mor_687435.jpg" --- # I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You… ![“I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You know that.” quote by Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/342/octavia-e-butler-2861_activism_i-do-what-i-can-i-said-when-i-can-do-mor_687435.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/342/octavia-e-butler-2861_activism_i-do-what-i-can-i-said-when-i-can-do-mor_687435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/342/octavia-e-butler-2861_activism_i-do-what-i-can-i-said-when-i-can-do-mor_687435.jpg) > ““I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You know that.”” [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses willingness to act within limits, promising to do more when possible, emphasizing humility and commitment. **In simple terms:** Do what you can, promise more later. Key Takeaway Commit to incremental effort and honesty. Themes responsibility humility commitment Mood determined hopeful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - career goals - skill building - community service Key Concepts ethics personal development Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take now? - When will you expand your effort? A Different Perspective Limits may delay larger contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Social activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-activism/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) ## Related quotes > [For the progressive left, social activism grounded in faith and theology crested in the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccurry/for-the-progressive-left-social-activism-grounded-in-faith-and/) [Mike McCurry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccurry/) > [Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/) [William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/) > [I think it needs to be with a heart-based wisdom and this heart-based wisdom needs to go hand in hand with science and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-think-it-needs-to-be-with-a-heart-based-wisdom-and-this-heart-based/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [It is my feeling that as we grow older we should become not less radical but more so. I do not, of course, mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-laurence/it-is-my-feeling-that-as-we-grow-older-we-should-become-not-less/) [Margaret Laurence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-laurence/) > [Jack Geiger, for example, was a leader of that movement. He was part of Physicians for Social Responsibility, which was kind of one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/jack-geiger-for-example-was-a-leader-of-that-movement-he-was-part-of/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We will ultimately rise up with social activism, collective confidence, civic engagement, and service leadership. They say our main contributions will be revitalizing communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-klett/we-will-ultimately-rise-up-with-social-activism-collective-confidence/) Corbin Klett > [Especially in the sphere of social activism, I think we tend to unwittingly conceptualize progress or revolution as black and white and having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-baker/especially-in-the-sphere-of-social-activism-i-think-we-tend-to/) [Julien Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-baker/) > [From spiritual connection springs kindness, connection, social activism, and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/from-spiritual-connection-springs-kindness-connection-social-activism/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [Developing compassion for Congress and politicians is a good way to begin practicing the new social activism if you want to make effective changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/developing-compassion-for-congress-and-politicians-is-a-good-way-to/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [I've been involved in social activism my entire life, and I would argue that many people involved in social activist movements have done very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/i-ve-been-involved-in-social-activism-my-entire-life-and-i-would/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [ “Often dismayed by but generally unflinching in the face of perpetual adversity, he \[W.E.B. Du Bois\] engaged the battle for equal human rights and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/often-dismayed-by-but-generally-unflinching-in-the-face-of-perpetual/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [World conditions challenge us to look beyond the status quo for responses to the pain of our times. We look to powers within as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/world-conditions-challenge-us-to-look-beyond-the-status-quo-for/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [My ministry's always been one of social activism. I think a responsible minister must be at some levels involved in the social order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/my-ministry-s-always-been-one-of-social-activism-i-think-a/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/one-of-the-great-liabilities-of-history-is-that-all-too-many-people-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Social activism has gone mainstream. A new generation of philanthropic leaders such as Bill and Melinda Gates, and Bono are providing inspiration, guidance, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-bay/social-activism-has-gone-mainstream-a-new-generation-of-philanthropic/) [Willow Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-bay/) ## More by Octavia E. Butler > [The lovely thing about writing is, well, two things. One, writing fiction allows us to bring an order to our lives that doesn't exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/the-lovely-thing-about-writing-is-well-two-things-one-writing-fiction/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It’s too easy to follow bad but attractive leaders, embrace pleasurable but destructive habits, ignore looming disaster because maybe it won’t happen after all—or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-s-too-easy-to-follow-bad-but-attractive-leaders-embrace/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“He rubbed his head again. 'Five years is longer than it sounds. So much longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/he-rubbed-his-head-again-five-years-is-longer-than-it-sounds-so-much/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Se sono tuoi, stabilisci tu le regole. A chi importa che cosa ne pensano i giocattoli? Spazza via l'intera famiglia di un giocattolo, poi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/se-sono-tuoi-stabilisci-tu-le-regole-a-chi-importa-che-cosa-ne/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [I don't know how much of a market there is for space opera. Just because it's in the movies doesn't mean magazines are buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/i-don-t-know-how-much-of-a-market-there-is-for-space-opera-just/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Freedom is dangerous but it's precious, too. You can't just throw it away or let it slip away. You can't sell it for bread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/freedom-is-dangerous-but-it-s-precious-too-you-can-t-just-throw-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Sometimes I wrote things because I couldn't say them, couldn't sort out my feelings about them, couldn't keep them bottled inside me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/sometimes-i-wrote-things-because-i-couldn-t-say-them-couldn-t-sort/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“In the book of Job, God says he made everything and he knows everything so no one has any right to question what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/in-the-book-of-job-god-says-he-made-everything-and-he-knows/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“But there’s no power in having strength and brains, and yet waiting for God to fix things for you or take revenge for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/but-there-s-no-power-in-having-strength-and-brains-and-yet-waiting/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“After a few years of watching the human species make things unnecessarily difficult for itself I have little hope that it will do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/after-a-few-years-of-watching-the-human-species-make-things/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Self is. Self is body and bodily perception. Self is thought, memory, belief. Self creates. Self destroys. Self learns, discovers, becomes. Self shapes. Self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/self-is-self-is-body-and-bodily-perception-self-is-thought-memory/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [At school I was always taller than the rest of my class, and because I was an only child, I was comfortable with adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/at-school-i-was-always-taller-than-the-rest-of-my-class-and-because-i/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It was milk that had sickened her. Animal milk! These people cooked many things with animal milk!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-was-milk-that-had-sickened-her-animal-milk-these-people-cooked/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [Religion is everywhere. There are no human societies without it, whether they acknowledge it as a religion or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/religion-is-everywhere-there-are-no-human-societies-without-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/there-is-nothing-new-under-the-sun-but-there-are-new-suns/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) [Explore all 131 Octavia E. Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## More Activism quotes > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“All struggles against oppression in the modern woeld begin by redefining what had previously been consideered private, non-public and non-political issues as matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyla-benhabib/all-struggles-against-oppression-in-the-modern-woeld-begin-by/) Seyla Benhabib > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Paul Revere earned his living as a silversmith. But what do we remember him for? His volunteer work. All activism is volunteering in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-ellis/paul-revere-earned-his-living-as-a-silversmith-but-what-do-we/) Susan J. Ellis > [Being in service and being involved in something that is greater than you is what makes a person complete and whole. The very first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/being-in-service-and-being-involved-in-something-that-is-greater-than/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [“The times do not call for grassroots political activism, as if the next election might be enough to reverse a massive cultural earthquake. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-miller/the-times-do-not-call-for-grassroots-political-activism-as-if-the/) Paul D. Miller > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Poetry is a lousy form of activism; it doesn't really change much. And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-gottlieb/poetry-is-a-lousy-form-of-activism-it-doesn-t-really-change-much-and/) [Daphne Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-gottlieb/) > [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [Ya'll know what you need to do? Get together, make a We Are The World record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/ya-ll-know-what-you-need-to-do-get-together-make-a-we-are-the-world/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [“There is no way to tell if we are the pioneers of a visionary new age, whisking humanity into the high vibrations of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-talat-phillips/there-is-no-way-to-tell-if-we-are-the-pioneers-of-a-visionary-new-age/) [Jonathan Talat Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-talat-phillips/) > [Terence McKenna says, "The culture is not your friend." I am not sure we can change this culture. But I think we can rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/terence-mckenna-says-the-culture-is-not-your-friend-i-am-not-sure-we/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [“A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-harvey/a-spirituality-that-is-only-private-and-self-absorbed-one-devoid-of/) [Andrew Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-harvey/) [Browse all 820 Activism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You know that.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Octavia E. 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