--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But as for activism, my parents did what…" description: "\"But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given the constraints, but were never involved in the causes I think of when I think of activists...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg" --- # But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given… ![“But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given the constraints, but were never involved in the causes I think of when I think of activists.” quote by Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg) > “But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given the constraints, but were never involved in the causes I think of when I think of activists.” [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Activism is limited by personal constraints; not all can join every cause. **In simple terms:** Constraints limit activism. Key Takeaway Find feasible ways to help. Themes activism constraints generational Mood pragmatic inspirational Type social motivational When to use this quote - community volunteering - advocacy - policy work Key Concepts social responsibility resource limits Questions to Reflect On - How can you contribute within your means? - What causes align with your abilities? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with practical limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Activists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activists/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [One of the problems of organizing in the North, in the rich countries, is that people tend to think - even the activists -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/one-of-the-problems-of-organizing-in-the-north-in-the-rich-countries/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Another part of what gave me a questioning, rabble-rousing, activist heart and soul is that when all these heavy events went down, my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/another-part-of-what-gave-me-a-questioning-rabble-rousing-activist/) [Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/) > [You can be active with the activists or sleep in with the sleepers while you're waiting for the Great Leap Forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/you-can-be-active-with-the-activists-or-sleep-in-with-the-sleepers/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Part of the reason I had such a drive to be an activist, and support other activists, is because I was raised Quaker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/part-of-the-reason-i-had-such-a-drive-to-be-an-activist-and-support/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [It's just impossible to ignore the activists in your party. These are the people who stuff the envelopes, and walk the precincts, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/it-s-just-impossible-to-ignore-the-activists-in-your-party-these-are/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [The activists will not stop in trying to impose their extreme views on the rest of us, and they have now plotted out a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bunning/the-activists-will-not-stop-in-trying-to-impose-their-extreme-views/) [Jim Bunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bunning/) > [My hope for America and the activists is that they never, ever go back to sleep, and they keep fighting for social justice, equality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/my-hope-for-america-and-the-activists-is-that-they-never-ever-go-back/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [Activists are cultural artists. They envision a world that does not yet exist, and then take action to create that world.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/activists-are-cultural-artists-they-envision-a-world-that-does-not/) [Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/) > [I love being part of a project that imparts a positive message, is somehow educational or enlightening, helps to bridge differences, or inspires viewers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nazanin-boniadi/i-love-being-part-of-a-project-that-imparts-a-positive-message-is/) [Nazanin Boniadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nazanin-boniadi/) > [There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it by ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/there-was-a-time-when-women-activists-asked-men-to-stand-up-for-their/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I know the activists I deal with, we sort of try and check each other to make sure that we haven't gone native, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/i-know-the-activists-i-deal-with-we-sort-of-try-and-check-each-other/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [My parents were civil rights activists, and my mother was active in the feminist movement. Issues concerning marginalized people and especially women of color…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-holmes/my-parents-were-civil-rights-activists-and-my-mother-was-active-in/) [Anna Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-holmes/) > [Some kinds of activists are more willing to try stuff out, see if works and think on their feet, but some of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/some-kinds-of-activists-are-more-willing-to-try-stuff-out-see-if/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [I think that compared to other politicians who have been put in jail in the past, compared to the human-rights activists in history who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-think-that-compared-to-other-politicians-who-have-been-put-in-jail/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## More by Paul Farmer > [If you look at people who seek a lot of care in American cities for multiple illnesses, it's usually people with a number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/if-you-look-at-people-who-seek-a-lot-of-care-in-american-cities-for/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/it-is-very-expensive-to-give-bad-medical-care-to-poor-people-in-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [The idea that because you're born in Haiti you could die having a child. The idea that because you're born in you know Malawi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/the-idea-that-because-you-re-born-in-haiti-you-could-die-having-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I critique market-based medicine not because I haven't seen its heights but because I've seen its depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-critique-market-based-medicine-not-because-i-haven-t-seen-its/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [With rare exceptions, all of your most important achievements on this planet will come from working with others- or, in a word, partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/with-rare-exceptions-all-of-your-most-important-achievements-on-this/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [The poorest parts of the world are by and large the places in which one can best view the worst of medicine and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/the-poorest-parts-of-the-world-are-by-and-large-the-places-in-which/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [One of the things we have to acknowledge is that if you look at Haiti, many billions of dollars have gone into development aid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/one-of-the-things-we-have-to-acknowledge-is-that-if-you-look-at-haiti/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I feel it's part of my job to make the problems of the poor compelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-feel-it-s-part-of-my-job-to-make-the-problems-of-the-poor-compelling/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I can't think of a better model for Haiti rebuilding than Rwanda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-can-t-think-of-a-better-model-for-haiti-rebuilding-than-rwanda/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [What I can argue is that no one should have to die of a disease that is treatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/what-i-can-argue-is-that-no-one-should-have-to-die-of-a-disease-that/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I'm not an austere person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-m-not-an-austere-person/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Again, conventional Catholicism does not much appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/again-conventional-catholicism-does-not-much-appeal-to-me/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I would say that, intellectually, Catholicism had no more impact on me than did social theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-would-say-that-intellectually-catholicism-had-no-more-impact-on-me/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I think we will see better vaccines within the next 15 years, but I'm not a scientist and am focused on the short-term -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/i-think-we-will-see-better-vaccines-within-the-next-15-years-but-i-m/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [If you look just at the decades after 1934, you know it's hard to point to really inspired and positive support from outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/if-you-look-just-at-the-decades-after-1934-you-know-it-s-hard-to/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) [Explore all 70 Paul Farmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) ## 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": "But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given the constraints, but were never involved in the causes I think of when I think of activists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Farmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what-they-could-given-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what-they-could-given-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/paul-farmer-9803_activism_but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what_630863.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But as for activism, my parents did what they could, given the constraints, but were never involved in the…” — Paul Farmer", "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": "Paul Farmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But as for activism, my parents...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what-they-could-given-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/but-as-for-activism-my-parents-did-what-they-could-given-the/#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 } } ] } ```