--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every few decades, we have an opportunity…" description: "\"Every few decades, we have an opportunity to make a drastic change to the way we live our lives. We get a chance to design the building blocks of our d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b0/paul-polman-3721_building-blocks_every-few-decades-we-have-an-opportunity_450224.png" --- # Every few decades, we have an opportunity to make a… ![“Every few decades, we have an opportunity to make a drastic change to the way we live our lives. We get a chance to design the building blocks of our daily routines, the infrastructure that will support and accompany us for the years to come - from the trains and trams we ride, the offices we work…” quote by Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b0/paul-polman-3721_building-blocks_every-few-decades-we-have-an-opportunity_450224.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b0/paul-polman-3721_building-blocks_every-few-decades-we-have-an-opportunity_450224.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b0/paul-polman-3721_building-blocks_every-few-decades-we-have-an-opportunity_450224.png) > “Every few decades, we have an opportunity to make a drastic change to the way we live our lives. We get a chance to design the building blocks of our daily routines, the infrastructure that will support and accompany us for the years to come - from the trains and trams we ride, the offices we work in, to the energy that powers our homes.” [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Periodically we can redesign societal systems, shaping infrastructure and daily habits for long‑term resilience and sustainability. **In simple terms:** We have rare chances to rebuild how we live for future generations. Key Takeaway Seize these moments to create sustainable, resilient systems. Themes sustainability urban planning future design systems thinking Mood hopeful determined Type visionary strategic When to use this quote - government policy - city planning - corporate strategy - community initiatives - personal lifestyle changes Key Concepts infrastructure habit formation long‑term planning Questions to Reflect On - What systemic change would you prioritize? - How can individuals contribute to large‑scale redesign? A Different Perspective Implementation is costly and requires collective agreement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Building blocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-blocks/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-way/) [Daily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily/) [Daily Routine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-routine/) [Decades Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades-opportunity-3931391/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Drastic change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drastic-change/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Infrastructure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infrastructure/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Routines Infrastructure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/routines-infrastructure-3931392/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“So much more of our routines and infrastructure remains to be liquefied,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/so-much-more-of-our-routines-and-infrastructure-remains-to-be/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [In the highly unlikely event he survived the drastic changes in the ratio of his volume to his surface area, by approximately the 8th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king/in-the-highly-unlikely-event-he-survived-the-drastic-changes-in-the/) [John Alejandro King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king/) > [“We can never really be prepared for that which is wholly new. We have to adjust ourselves, and every radical adjustment is a crisis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-can-never-really-be-prepared-for-that-which-is-wholly-new-we-have/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-give-me-grace-to-accept-with-serenity-the-things-that-cannot-be/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [All I claimed was that when a drastic change occurs, it occurs in a relatively small and isolated population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/all-i-claimed-was-that-when-a-drastic-change-occurs-it-occurs-in-a/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [India's rivers are undergoing a drastic change. Our perennial rivers are becoming seasonal. Many of the smaller rivers have already vanished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/india-s-rivers-are-undergoing-a-drastic-change-our-perennial-rivers/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [We all seem to get this idea that, in order to be sacred, we have to make some massive, drastic change of character, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/we-all-seem-to-get-this-idea-that-in-order-to-be-sacred-we-have-to/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I think that if people realize that with an mp3, you're only getting five percent of the sound that's there. But when you hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-think-that-if-people-realize-that-with-an-mp3-you-re-only-getting/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [The White House has embarked on a mission to convince the people of our country that Social Security is in dire need of drastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/the-white-house-has-embarked-on-a-mission-to-convince-the-people-of/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [The cartoonist's work is solitary; even when dealing with editors and assistants, there is no such excitement as to creating unexpected drastic changes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katsuhiro-otomo/the-cartoonist-s-work-is-solitary-even-when-dealing-with-editors-and/) [Katsuhiro Otomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katsuhiro-otomo/) > [You can't build teams with drastic changes or a drastic swing of players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-parker/you-can-t-build-teams-with-drastic-changes-or-a-drastic-swing-of/) [Scott Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-parker/) > [“Drastic change creates an estrangement from the self, and generates a need for a new birth of a new identity. And it perhaps depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-gerber/drastic-change-creates-an-estrangement-from-the-self-and-generates-a/) [Michael E. Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-gerber/) > [Every time there is a major shift in technology, it's been hugely exciting and scary at the same time. I have seen some really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-steele/every-time-there-is-a-major-shift-in-technology-it-s-been-hugely/) [Taylor Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-steele/) > [“Once sin creeps its way into your life, it’s hard to turn around. You can’t pull yourself back up on your own, and certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sweet/once-sin-creeps-its-way-into-your-life-it-s-hard-to-turn-around-you/) [Michael Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sweet/) > [Good economic policy requires not so much the bravado to implement drastic change as the strength and wisdom to make reasonable trade-offs over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/good-economic-policy-requires-not-so-much-the-bravado-to-implement/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) ## More by Paul Polman > [Renewable energy could reduce emissions but also create jobs and improve public health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/renewable-energy-could-reduce-emissions-but-also-create-jobs-and/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [When women are provided with training and entrepreneurial opportunities in distribution networks, they become role models in their communities, showing it is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/when-women-are-provided-with-training-and-entrepreneurial/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [Companies are the first to see the costs of climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/companies-are-the-first-to-see-the-costs-of-climate-change/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [I don't subscribe to, 'Here are the top ten tips to successful leadership,' or, 'How to learn leadership in ten minutes.' A leader is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-don-t-subscribe-to-here-are-the-top-ten-tips-to-successful/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [I grew up in a small town in the Netherlands which, for years, had been a center of textile production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-grew-up-in-a-small-town-in-the-netherlands-which-for-years-had-been/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [I do not work for the shareholder, to be honest. I work for the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-do-not-work-for-the-shareholder-to-be-honest-i-work-for-the-customer/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [The moment you discover in life that it's not about yourself, that it is about investing in others, I think you're entering a steadier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/the-moment-you-discover-in-life-that-it-s-not-about-yourself-that-it/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [In certain cases, empowering women starts with making their lives easier and removing unnecessary burdens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/in-certain-cases-empowering-women-starts-with-making-their-lives/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [When the climate hurts, people and businesses also feel the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/when-the-climate-hurts-people-and-businesses-also-feel-the-pain/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [As CEO of Unilever, my personal mission is to galvanize our company to be an effective force for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/as-ceo-of-unilever-my-personal-mission-is-to-galvanize-our-company-to/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [At the end of the day, people will follow you or people will be energised by you if they buy into your vision or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/at-the-end-of-the-day-people-will-follow-you-or-people-will-be/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [I discovered a long time ago that if I focus on doing the right thing for the long term to improve the lives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-discovered-a-long-time-ago-that-if-i-focus-on-doing-the-right-thing/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [Practically, systemic thinking can be used to identify problems, analyze their boundaries, design strategies and policy interventions, forecast and measure their expected impacts, implement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/practically-systemic-thinking-can-be-used-to-identify-problems/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [I work a lot with blind people in my spare time outside of Unilever, and I count my blessings every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/i-work-a-lot-with-blind-people-in-my-spare-time-outside-of-unilever/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [If we achieve our sustainability targets and no one else follows, we will have failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/if-we-achieve-our-sustainability-targets-and-no-one-else-follows-we/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) [Explore all 123 Paul Polman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) ## More Building blocks quotes > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [The family is the building block for whatever solidarity there is in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ruckelshaus/the-family-is-the-building-block-for-whatever-solidarity-there-is-in/) [William Ruckelshaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ruckelshaus/) > [“Equality of condition and equality of opportunity must provide the foundation of an interdependent nation with building blocks found in dignity and respect given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-banks-lewis/equality-of-condition-and-equality-of-opportunity-must-provide-the/) [Julie Banks Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-banks-lewis/) > [Put in an honest day's work. It is the building block of a spiritual life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-toshio-sudo/put-in-an-honest-day-s-work-it-is-the-building-block-of-a-spiritual/) [Philip Toshio Sudo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-toshio-sudo/) > [I am proud of my flaws and mistakes, they are the building blocks of my strengths and beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allie-jensen/i-am-proud-of-my-flaws-and-mistakes-they-are-the-building-blocks-of/) [Allie Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allie-jensen/) > [I was surprised that when you get into electoral politics how scientific the analysis was in the electorate. You can identify on a state-by-state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/i-was-surprised-that-when-you-get-into-electoral-politics-how/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [Often the deep valleys of our PRESENT will be UNDERSTOOD only by LOOKING BACK on them from the mountains of our FUTURE experience. Often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/often-the-deep-valleys-of-our-present-will-be-understood-only-by/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [“Leaders create influence with the clays of criticism others throw at them. They don't take offence; they take corrections.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-create-influence-with-the-clays-of-criticism-others-throw-at/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [There are roles that are terrifying because they're large or you may feel that they're out of your line, but I'm never terrified once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-roles-that-are-terrifying-because-they-re-large-or-you-may/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [“Have I added to their building blocks, shoring them up with strength and their own magnificence? Have I shown them enough color? Did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-kiros/have-i-added-to-their-building-blocks-shoring-them-up-with-strength/) [Tessa Kiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-kiros/) > [Plot and scene are still the hardest things for me, though I think they're the building blocks of what makes a story work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/plot-and-scene-are-still-the-hardest-things-for-me-though-i-think/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Marriage is one of the most important institutions we have. It binds families and society together. It is a building block that promotes stability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-miller/marriage-is-one-of-the-most-important-institutions-we-have-it-binds/) [Maria Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-miller/) > [Is there anything in the world better than words on the page? Magic signs, the voices of the dead, building blocks to make wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/is-there-anything-in-the-world-better-than-words-on-the-page-magic/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Good teams incorporate teamwork into their culture, creating the building blocks for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-sundquist/good-teams-incorporate-teamwork-into-their-culture-creating-the/) [Ted Sundquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-sundquist/) > [We're not just polluting a river and killing a couple of top predator animals; we're eradicating the krill, the necessary algae. We're dismantling the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/we-re-not-just-polluting-a-river-and-killing-a-couple-of-top-predator/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) [Browse all 228 Building blocks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-blocks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every few decades, we have an opportunity to make a drastic change to the way we live our lives. 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